title: Weekly cisplatin versus standard three-weekly cisplatin in concurrent chemoradiotherapy of head and neck cancer: the Baskent University experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The majority of patients with head and neck cancer are treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. However, toxicity is substantial so that alternate schedules of cisplatin have been tried to overcome this problem. No formal comparison, however, has been reported between alternate schedules and reference regimen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five eligible patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. The patients treated with weekly cisplatin were defined as group A, while the patients treated with standard regimen were defined as group B. Basic demographics and clinical characteristics', overall survival rate, locoregional or systemic relapse rates, and time to local/systemic relapse were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One, two, and three-year probability of survival in groups A and B were 75% to 65% after one year, 63% to 56%after two, and 63% to 52% after three, respectively. Although time to local and systemic relapse was higher in group B as compared to group A, a statistical analysis was failed to show any significant difference. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between groups with respect to major toxicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with head and neck cancer, concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly cisplatin might be as effective as concurrent chemoradiotherapy with bolus cisplatin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Baskent University, Adana, Turkey. fatihkose@gmail.com
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kose
authors.forename: Ayberk
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Besen
authors.forename: Taner
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumbul
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sezer
authors.forename: Cemile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karadeniz
authors.forename: Umut
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Disel
authors.forename: Ozden
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Altundag
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozyilkan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin