title: Definitive chemoradiotherapy for squamous head and neck cancer: cisplatin versus carboplatin? A meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Concomitant chemoradiotherapy (with cisplatin or carboplatin) is an option of definitive treatment for squamous head and neck cancer. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing those two platinum agents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a systematic search on English literature between 1990 and 17 April 2015 according to the Cochrane review guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five of 60 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria with 491 patients. There was no difference in response rate. Cisplatin tends to be more active systemically than carboplatin, without statistically significance; 5-year survival rate: 30 and 27%, respectively (p = 0.33).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the trend to improved outcomes in using cisplatin, carboplatin is also active and can be a reasonable option to treat patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Nazareth
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Hakaru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tadokoro
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gislaine Fernandes
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mayndra Mychelle
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Landgraf
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carmelia Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Noia Barreto
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Andraus
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Filardi
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Singapore, City of Singapore, Singapore.|Oncoclínicas of Brazil, HCor, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilberto de Lima
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Studies, Abel Salazar Biomedical Institute, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.|Division of Oncology, Department of Biomedical Sciences & Medicine, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Edifício 7, ala Nascente, 3º Andar, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ramon Andrade
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de Mello
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin
keywords: carboplatin; chemoradiotherapy; chemotherapy; cisplatin; head and neck