Six-year analysis of compliance to weekly concurrent chemoradiotherapy in head and neck carcinomas.
Clin Otolaryngol 2015;
41:442-7. [PMID:
26523400 DOI:
10.1111/coa.12580]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate treatment compliance to weekly concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective analysis.
SETTING
Tertiary care hospital.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Overall treatment time (OTT), acute radiation morbidity and treatment completion rate without prolongation of overall treatment time of more than 2 days.
RESULTS
Three hundred and seventy-eight head and neck carcinoma patients treated with radical CRT with 70 Gy/35 fractions of radiotherapy with weekly cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) were included in the study. Median age was 52 years (range 22-77 years), oropharynx was most commonly (54%) involved site, and 55% were in stage IV disease. Majority (86%) of patients were able to complete cancer-directed therapy, median OTT was 52 days (46-140 days). Nineteen per cent of patients completed treatment without prolongation of OTT beyond 2 days and 68% of patients there completed treatment prolongation of OTT beyond 7 days. Nearly, sixty-six of the patients experienced grade II or higher acute radiation morbidities.
CONCLUSIONS
Delivery of weekly low-dose concurrent CRT is safe and feasible. Two-thirds of the patients experienced treatment prolongation of more than 2 days and 14% could not complete treatment. Results within in the study suggest to a greater need to lay emphasis on continuity of a course of radical CRT for HNSCC.
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