Concurrent chemoradiation with carboplatin-5-fluorouracil versus cisplatin in locally advanced oropharyngeal cancers: is more always better?
OBJECTIVE
The optimal chemotherapy regimen remains undefined in the treatment of locally advanced oropharyngeal cancer by concomitant chemoradiation. This article compares two platinum-based chemotherapy regimens.


METHODS
In this retrospective study, we reviewed all consecutive patients treated for Stage III or IVA-B oropharyngeal cancer using either a combination of carboplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5FU) every 3 weeks or high-dose cisplatin every 3 weeks concomitant with definitive radiation therapy.


RESULTS
A total of 200 patients were treated with carboplatin-5FU and 53 patients with cisplatin. Median potential follow-up was 43 months. The 3-year overall survival rates for carboplatin-5FU and cisplatin respectively were 79.1% and 74.9% (p = 0.628), the 3-year disease-free survival rates were 76.0% and 71.3% (p = 0.799), and the 3-year locoregional control rates were 88.4% and 94.2% (p = 0.244).


CONCLUSIONS
We could not demonstrate differences between these two regimens, which both proved efficacious. Polychemotherapy and monochemotherapy therefore seem comparable in this retrospective analysis.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Université de Montréal-CHUM, Montreal, PQ, Canada. maroiebarkati@yahoo.ca
Maroie
M
Barkati
Bernard
B
Fortin
Denis
D
Soulières
Sébastien
S
Clavel
Phillipe
P
Després
Danielle
D
Charpentier
Jean-Claude
JC
Tabet
Louis
L
Guertin
Marie-Jo
MJ
Olivier
Geneviève
G
Coulombe
David
D
Donath
Phuc Felix
PF
Nguyen-Tan
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil