Toxicity and efficacy of accelerated radiotherapy with concurrent weekly cisplatin for locally advanced head and neck carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this report was to present the results of accelerated radiotherapy (RT) with concomitant weekly cisplatin in head and neck cancer. METHODS: One hundred six patients received concomitant cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) weekly with accelerated RT up to a dose of 68 Gy over 5.5 weeks. RESULTS: Ninety-nine percent of the patients received planned RT and 90% received >/=5 cycles of cisplatin. Moist desquamation of skin developed in 45% and confluent mucositis in 82%. Feeding tubes were required in 79% of the patients, and after 12 months in 4%. One patient developed nephrotoxicity. Three-year locoregional control, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were 72%, 54%, and 61%, respectively. Human papillomavirus (HPV) status was positive on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and p16 in 11 of 50 patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma. Three-year OS was 81% and 66% in HPV-positive versus HPV-negative patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Concomitant weekly cisplatin 40 mg/m(2) with accelerated RT was well tolerated and treatment compliance was high. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E559-E565, 2016.