Treatment for lung metastasis from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a preliminary study of docetaxel.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the study were to investigate the prognosis of patients with lung metastasis after treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HANSCC) and to preliminarily evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel (DOC)-based chemotherapy.


METHODS
The effectiveness of the chemotherapy was evaluated retrospectively according to the tumor response rate and survival time post-metastasis. Thirty patients were enrolled in the study. Twenty-seven have died, two are living, and one was lost during follow-up. Nineteen patients were treated for lung metastasis with chemotherapy. DOC-based chemotherapy was given to seven patients and non-DOC-based chemotherapy to 12.


CONCLUSIONS
The response rate was 28.6% for the first administration of DOC-based chemotherapy, but only 8.3% for the non-DOC-based chemotherapy. Thus, DOC-based chemotherapy had a better response rate for lung metastases than other chemotherapy agents tested. Although the sample size was small, DOC seems to shrink or inhibit the growth of lung metastases in patients with primary HANSCC.
Yamagata
Kenji
K
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan. y-kenji@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
Onizawa
Kojiro
K
Otsuka
Yuki
Y
Yoshida
Hiroshi
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043823:Taxoids / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel