title: Clinical effectiveness of 125I-seed implantation in combination with nimotuzumab therapy for the advanced oral carcinoma: preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study determines the short-term efficacy and toxicity of combined 125I-seed implantation and nimotuzumab in treating the advanced oral carcinoma. 125I-seed implantation is safe and has shown good short-term efficacy in clinical practice. Nimotuzumab is a useful biological agent for targeted therapy. Effect of 125I-seed implantation with nimotuzumab in treating oral carcinomas remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 2011 to December 2012, 11 patients with advanced oral carcinoma (pathologic types: 7 cases of squamous cell carcinoma and 4 cases of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma) were enrolled in our hospital. The patients did not receive surgery due to systemic disease or locally advanced cancer. All of them underwent 125I-seed implantation with the matched peripheral doses (MPD) ranging from 90-100 Gy. The apparent activity per seed ranged from 0.6 mCi (2.22 MBq) to 0.7 mCi (2.59 MBq). Later, all patients were given nimotuzumab (200 mg, intravenous drip, weekly, for 6 weeks). The patients were then followed up and the response rate, acute/chronic radiation-induced injury, and safety of the induction treatment were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three patients achieved complete while 6 patients had partial response; yielding a response rate of 81.8%. Major adverse events included radiation-induced oral mucositis, local hemorrhage, bone marrow suppression, nausea/vomiting, and alopecia. Adverse reaction was not significantly different between the group of patients under 65 years of age and over 65 years of age (p > 0.05). Nimotuzumab enhanced the tumor sensitivity to brachytherapy without increasing AEs and improved the patients' life quality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  125I-seed implantation combined with nimotuzumab is effective and safe for patients with unresectable oral carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Central Hospital, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. mrocket@126.com.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Q-W
authors.initials: QW
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Q-P
authors.initials: QP
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Z-P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; C501466:nimotuzumab