title: Efficacy and safety of concomitant chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin and docetaxel in patients with locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chemoradiation (CRT) using cisplatin-based regimens has become the standard of care in the treatment of squamous cell head and neck cancers (SCHNC). The impact of taxanes as radiosensitizing agents with concurrent CRT regimens is unknown. We therefore retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of a weekly cisplatin+docetaxel combination with CRT in locally advanced SCHNC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six patients with locally advanced SCHNC (39.4% stage IV, 53% stage III, and 7.6% stage II) were assessed retrospectively. Total radiation dose to the PTV of gross disease (primary and/or node) was 70 Gy/ 35 fractions, 5 fractions per week. Minimum doses of 60 Gy and 50 Gy were administered to PTVs of elective high risk and low risk disease, respectively. Chemotherapy (CT) consisted of weekly cisplatin (20 mg/m2) +docetaxel (20 mg/m2) concurrently with RT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the patients was 58 years (range, 32-77). Objective response rate was 83.3%. The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 75.7% and 78.3%, respectively. The most common grade 3 and 4 toxicities were mucositis (36.4%), nausea and vomiting (12.1%), neutropenia (4.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weekly cisplatin and docetaxel concurrent with RT for locally advanced SCHNC was found tolerable with high efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Sakarya University Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey. meltembaykara@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baykara
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buyukberber
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Coskun
authors.forename: Diclehan Kilic
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Unsal
authors.forename: Umut
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Demirci
authors.forename: Faysal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dane
authors.forename: Muhammet Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bora
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benekli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin