title: Toxicity of daily low dose cisplatin in radiochemotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate toxicity of radiochemotherapy schedule using daily-low-dose-cisplatin in radiochemotherapy of locally-advanced head-and-neck-cancer (HNSCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  From October 2003 to October 2006, 50 patients with HNSCC (stage III/IVA/IVB) were treated. In 32 patients, surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy(64 Gy), in 18 patients definitive radiotherapy(70 Gy) was performed. Low-dose-cisplatin was applied concomitantly (6 mg/m2/every radiotherapy-day).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute toxicity > or =grade 3 was observed in 22 patients (11 patients mucositis/dysphagia, 7 hematologic toxicity, 4 mucositis/dysphagia/hematologic toxicity). 90% of our patients received >80% of the planned cumulative chemotherapy dose, 94% the intended dose of radiotherapy. After median follow-up of 24.2 months, 3-year overall survival and loco-regional control rates were 67.1 and 78%. During follow-up, chronic toxicity > or =grade 3 (xerostomia, subcutaneous fibrosis, or lymphedema) was observed in nine patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found chemoradiation with daily-low-dose-cisplatin to be feasible with advantage of low acute and chronic toxicity. Therefore, use of low-dose-cisplatin should be evaluated in future clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy and Radiooncology, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany. drhawolff@googlemail.com
authors.forename: Hendrik Andreas
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Overbeck
authors.forename: Ralph M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Roedel
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hermann
authors.forename: Markus K A
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Tereza
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kertesz
authors.forename: Hilke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vorwerk
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hille
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matthias
authors.forename: Clemens F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Christiansen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D011838:Radiation-Sensitizing Agents; D002945:Cisplatin