Organ preservation for advanced head and neck cancer concomitant chemoradiation

Sensorineural Hearing Loss after Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer: A Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND

Definitive cisplatin-based chemoradiation is increasingly delivered as the treatment of choice for patients with head and neck cancer. Sensorineural hearing loss is a significant long-term side effect of cisplatin-based chemoradiation and is associated with potential major quality of life issues for patients. The purpose of this article was to review the mechanism behind sensorineural hearing loss in patients treated with cisplatin-based chemoradiation, including incidence, the contributions of radiotherapy and cisplatin to sensorineural hearing loss, and the impact of the toxicity on patient quality of life.

METHODS

Database searches were conducted through PubMed (National Centre for Biotechnology Information) and OvidSP Medline via the Queensland University of Technology Library website. General article searches were conducted through the online search engine Google Scholar. Articles were excluded if the full text was unavailable, they were not in English, or if they were published before 1990. Key words included hearing loss, ototoxicity, cancer, quality of life, cisplatin, and radiotherapy.

RESULTS/DISCUSSION

The total number of journal articles accessed was 290. Because of exclusion criteria, 129 articles were deemed appropriate for review. Findings indicated that sensorineural hearing loss is a significant, long-term complication for patients treated with cisplatin-based chemoradiation. Current literature recognizes the ototoxic effects of cisplatin and cranial irradiation as separate entities; however, the impact of combined modality therapy on sensorineural hearing loss is seldom reported. Multiple risk factors for hearing loss are described; however, there are contradictory opinions on incidence and severity and the exact radiation dose threshold responsible for inducing hearing loss in patients receiving combined modality therapy. Sensorineural hearing loss creates a subset of complexities for patients with head and neck cancer and these patients face significant quality of life impairment.

CONCLUSIONS

The literature review identified that sensorineural hearing loss is a major quality of life issue for patients treated with cisplatin-based chemoradiation for head and neck cancer. Further investigation evaluating the contribution of cisplatin-based chemoradiation to sensorineural hearing loss and the subsequent effect on patient quality of life is warranted.

Functional organ preservation with definitive chemoradiotherapy for T4 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Randomized trials established chemoradiotherapy as standard treatment for advanced laryngeal cancer. Patients with large-volume T4 disease (LVT4) were excluded from these trials. The purpose of this study was to report T4 laryngeal cancer patient outcome, including those with LVT4 disease, treated with chemoradiotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study is a retrospective subset analysis of 32 patients with T4 laryngeal carcinoma including LVT4 tumors treated on three consecutive protocols investigating paclitaxel (Taxol), 5-fluorouracil, hydroxyurea, and 1.5-Gy twice daily (BID) radiotherapy (TFHX).

RESULTS

Median follow-up is 43 months. Four-year locoregional control (LRC), disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and laryngectomy-free survival (LFS) was 71%, 67%, 53%, and 86%, respectively. Four patients required laryngectomy for recurrent or persistent disease. Of disease-free patients with >or=1 year follow-up, 90% demonstrated normal or understandable speech. None required laryngectomy for complications. Among LVT4 patients, 4-year LRC, DFS, OS, and LFS was 71%, 65%, 56%, and 81%, respectively. Induction chemotherapy improved 4-year LRC (90% versus 46%, P = 0.03) and DFS (84% versus 42%, P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Promising control and functional outcomes are achieved with TFHX for T4 laryngeal patients. LVT4 disease had outcomes similar to patients with less advanced disease treated on Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 91-11. Induction chemotherapy improved outcomes, warranting further investigation.