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Clinical Trial
. 2010 Oct 12;103(8):1173-81.
doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605860. Epub 2010 Sep 14.

Short-term health-related quality of life and symptom control with docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin (TPF), 5-fluorouracil (PF) for induction in unresectable locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer patients (EORTC 24971/TAX 323)

C M L van Herpen  1 , M E Mauer, R Mesia, M Degardin, S Jelic, C Coens, J Betka, J Bernier, E Remenar, J S Stewart, J H Preiss, D van den Weyngaert, A Bottomley, J B Vermorken; EORTC Head and Neck Group
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Short-term health-related quality of life and symptom control with docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin (TPF), 5-fluorouracil (PF) for induction in unresectable locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer patients (EORTC 24971/TAX 323)

C M L van Herpen et al. Br J Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: The EORTC 24971/TAX 323, a phase III study of 358 patients with unresectable locoregionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, showed an improved progression-free and overall survival (OS) with less toxicity when docetaxel (T) was added to cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PF) for induction and given before radiotherapy (RT). The impact of the addition of docetaxel on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and symptoms was investigated.

Methods: HRQOL was assessed at baseline, at end of cycle 2, and 4, 6, and 9 months after completion of RT using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (QLQ-C30) and the EORTC QLQ Head and Neck Cancer-Specific Module (EORTC QLQ-H&N35). The primary HRQOL scale was global HRQOL per protocol.

Results: Compliance to HRQOL assessments was 97% at baseline, but dropped to 54% by 6 months. Data were analysed up to 6 months. There was a trend towards improved global HRQOL during the treatment period. At 6 months after the end of RT, global HRQOL was higher in the TPF arm than in the PF arm, but the low compliance does not allow to draw definitive conclusions. Swallowing and coughing problems decreased more in the TPF arm than in the PF arm at the end of cycle 2, but to a limited extent.

Conclusion: Induction chemotherapy with TPF before RT not only improves survival and reduces toxicity compared with PF but also seems to improve global HRQOL in a more sustainable manner.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00003888.

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Conflict of interest statement

JBV is consultant for Sanofi-Aventis.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Evolution of mean scores in global QoL over time.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Evolution of mean scores in other selected scales over time.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Evolution of mean scores in other non-selected scales over time.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Evolution of mean scores from the Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck tool.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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