title: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy using cisplatin, tegafur, and leucovorin for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx and oropharynx.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the efficacy and adverse events of cisplatin, tegafur, and leucovorin concomitantly with radiotherapy for patients with advanced, non-metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oropharynx and hypopharynx.
  
  
  METHODS
  The PTL regimen consisted of cisplatin (P) 50 mg/m 2 on day 1, oral tegafur (T) 800 mg/day plus leucovorin (LV) 60 mg/day on days 1 through 14. It was repeated every 2 weeks through the radiotherapy course. Conventional radiotherapy with 1.8-2.0 Gy/day, 5 days per week, was delivered in a total dose of between 70 and 72 Gy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five patients with stage III or IV of SCC of the head and neck were consecutively treated between May 2002 and November 2005. Forty-six (70.7%) patients had complete response after concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). With a median follow-up of 54.0 months (range 1-103 months), the 5-year locoregional control, progression-free survival, and overall survival rates were 50.6%, 40.7%, and 59.7%, respectively. Three (4.6%) patients had toxic death during treatment. Fifty-one (80.0%) patients experienced grade 3-4 mucositis which occurred in about 35% of the CCRT duration. The functional preservation rate among post-CCRT complete responders was 93.5% (43/46). The median cisplatin accumulated dosage was 150 mg, and the rate of hearing impairment among the survivors was 7.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CCRT with outpatient-based PTL for advanced SCC of oropharynx and hypopharynx is feasible and has comparative efficacy and acceptable adverse events.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Cheng-Lung
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Chia-Hsun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Kang-Hsing
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Chien-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Joseph Tung-Chieh
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shiang-Fu
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: I-How
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chun-Ta
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Shu-Kung
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000379:methods; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D007013:Hypopharynx / Q000187:drug effects*; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000187:drug effects*; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005641:Tegafur; D002945:Cisplatin; D002955:Leucovorin