[Combined therapy of locally advanced squamous epithelial cancers in the area of the head and neck]

Abstract

In an effort to improve treatment results in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck, we designed a multimodality treatment programme consisting of three cycles of inductive chemotherapy, after 2-3 weeks loco-regional therapy (surgery and/or radiotherapy), two more cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with the same regimen were given finally. The chemotherapeutic regimen included cis-platinum 100 mg/m2 on day 1, 5-fluorouracil 100 mg/m2 on days 2-6 as a continuous infusion, bleomycin 15 units on days 15, 29; mitomycin-C 4 mg/m2 on day 2 and hydroxyurea 100 mg/m2 on days 22-26. From August 1984 onwards, 37 patients entered in this study. The group included 31 men and 6 women with a medium age of 54 (18-71) and a performance status of 80 (60-90). Primary sites were nasopharynx (13), oropharynx (5), hypopharynx (3), sinus (3), ethmoids (2), tongue (2), floor of the mouth (2), larynx (6) and unknown (1). 25 patients received 3 cycles of induction therapy whereas 22 completed the whole treatment programme. Following induction therapy, 28% of the patients demonstrated histologically confirmed CR, 40% PR and 32% SD, while after the full multimodality therapy 59% demonstrated CR, 36% PR and 5% SD. Follow-up is 9-36 months. Actual survival at 3 years is 80% for those with a CR post loco-regional therapy. Toxicities were leukopenia (40%), thrombocytopenia (20%), anaemia (40%), nausea and vomiting (60%), stomatitis (52%) diarrhoea (16%) and alopecia (79%). There was one death related to chemotherapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)