title: Efficacy of brachytherapy concomitant with chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil in unresectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Brachytherapy is a form of targeted radiation therapy and has shown good short-term efficacy in clinical practice. The purpose of this clinical trial was to determine the feasibility and safety of radioactive iodine 125 seeds implantation concomitantly with chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (TPF) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
  
  
  
  A total of 23 previously untreated patients with histologically documented advanced unresectable HNSCC underwent percutaneous interstitial implantation of radioactive iodine 125 seeds, and simultaneously received 3 cycles of chemotherapy every 21 days (75 mg/m(2) docetaxel D1, 75 mg/m(2) cisplatin D1, and 750 mg/m(2) 5-fluorouracil D2-5). The treatment efficacy was evaluated based on tumor size and clinical symptoms of the patients.
  
  
  
  The overall response rate was 78.3%. No acute complications and treatment-related radiation damages occurred. Two-year progression-free survival (PFS) 60.9% and overall survival (OS) 52.2% were achieved. Four patients (17.4%) died of cardiovascular causes and local disease recurrence.
  
  
  
  Brachytherapy based on iodine 125 seeds implantation given concomitantly with chemotherapy is a mildly invasive, effective and safe therapeutic approach for advanced HNSCC.
authors: Department of Stomatology, the Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Clinical School of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, China.
authors: Xing
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Jian
authors: J
authors: Meng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil