title: Initial experience of radiotherapy plus cetuximab for Japanese head and neck cancer patients.
abstract: In Japan, cetuximab with concurrent bioradiotherapy (BRT) for squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN) was approved in December 2012. We herein report our initial experience of BRT, with special emphasis on acute toxicities of this combination therapy. Thirty-one non-metastatic SCCHN patients who underwent BRT using cetuximab between July 2013 and June 2014 were retrospectively evaluated. All patients received cetuximab with a loading dose of 400 mg/m(2) one week before the start of radiotherapy, followed by 250 mg/m(2) per week during radiotherapy. The median cycle of cetuximab was seven cycles and the median dose of radiotherapy was 70 Gy. Twenty-five patients (80.6%) accomplished planned radiotherapy and six cycles or more cetuximab administration. Six patients (19.4%) discontinued cetuximab. Grade 3 dermatitis, mucositis and infusion reaction occurred in 19.4%, 48.3% and 3.2%, respectively. One patient experienced Grade 3 gastrointestinal bleeding caused by diverticular hemorrhage during BRT. Grade 3 drug-induced pneumonitis occurred in two patients. The response rate was 74%, including 55% with a complete response. BRT using cetuximab for Japanese patients with SCCHN was feasible as an alternative for cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiation, although longer follow-up is necessary to evaluate late toxicities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan kuromari@chiba-u.jp.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurokawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe Nemoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Rintaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horikoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Aki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kanazawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Gentaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Togasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukinao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chazono
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Toyoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanazawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chiba University Hospital, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1, Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uno
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068818:Cetuximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000209:etiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D052016:Mucositis / Q000209:etiology; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068818:Cetuximab
keywords: acute toxicity; cetuximab; head and neck cancer; initial experience; radiotherapy