Chemoradiotherapy for locoregionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the base of tongue.
BACKGROUND: Our aim was to report the outcomes of base of tongue cancers treated with chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: Between 1990 and 2004, 127 patients with stage III or IV base of tongue cancer were treated with chemoradiotherapy on protocol. Indications included nodal involvement, T3/T4 tumors, positive margins, those patients refusing surgery, or were medically inoperable. The most common regimen was paclitaxel (100 mg/m2 on day 1), infusional 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/m2/day × 5 days), hydroxyurea (500 mg prescribed orally [PO] 2 × daily [BID]), and 1.5 Gy twice daily irradiation followed by a 9-day break without treatment. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 51 months. The median dose to gross tumor was 72.5 Gy (range, 40-75.5 Gy). Five-year locoregional progression-free survival, overall survival, and disease-free survival was 87.0%, 58.2%, and 46.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy results in promising locoregional control for base of tongue cancer. As distant relapse was common, further investigation of systemic therapy with novel agents may be warranted.
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Related Subject Headings
- Tongue Neoplasms
- Recombinant Proteins
- Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated
- Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
- Radiotherapy Dosage
- Paclitaxel
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Neck Dissection
- Middle Aged
- Male
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Tongue Neoplasms
- Recombinant Proteins
- Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated
- Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
- Radiotherapy Dosage
- Paclitaxel
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Neck Dissection
- Middle Aged
- Male