title: Six-year analysis of compliance to weekly concurrent chemoradiotherapy in head and neck carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate treatment compliance to weekly concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall treatment time (OTT), acute radiation morbidity and treatment completion rate without prolongation of overall treatment time of more than 2 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred and seventy-eight head and neck carcinoma patients treated with radical CRT with 70 Gy/35 fractions of radiotherapy with weekly cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) were included in the study. Median age was 52 years (range 22-77 years), oropharynx was most commonly (54%) involved site, and 55% were in stage IV disease. Majority (86%) of patients were able to complete cancer-directed therapy, median OTT was 52 days (46-140 days). Nineteen per cent of patients completed treatment without prolongation of OTT beyond 2 days and 68% of patients there completed treatment prolongation of OTT beyond 7 days. Nearly, sixty-six of the patients experienced grade II or higher acute radiation morbidities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delivery of weekly low-dose concurrent CRT is safe and feasible. Two-thirds of the patients experienced treatment prolongation of more than 2 days and 14% could not complete treatment. Results within in the study suggest to a greater need to lay emphasis on continuity of a course of radical CRT for HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jagadesan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhaskar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thakar
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute Rotary Cancer Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India. drbkmohanti@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Mohanti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin