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Retrospective evaluation of concomitant cetuximab and radiotherapy tolerance for locoregional advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treatment in patients unfit for platinum-based chemotherapy

  • Head and Neck
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Abstract

Radiotherapy associated with cetuximab (Cet-RT) is an alternative treatment to platinum-based chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck carcinoma (LAHNC). Reviews suggest that the use of cetuximab is associated with poorer tolerance in patients unfit for chemotherapy than in pivotal trial. We retrospectively studied patients first treated by Cet-RT for LAHNC presenting contraindications to chemoradiotherapy. Objectives were treated population description, acute tolerance, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and 3-month clinical response. Eighty-eight patients were included. Treatment was completed without delay for 43 patients. Grade 3–4 acute toxicity was described in 44.3%: mucositis (n = 20), radiodermatitis (n = 25) folliculitis (n = 10), and anaphylaxis (n = 6). Fourteen patients died during treatment. Median PFS and OS were 6.3 and 18.7 months, respectively. We confirm that Cet-RT tolerance in unfit patients is poorer than that in trials. Survival data illustrate patients’ frailty and suggest that balanced use of Cet-RT is required in this population.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Oncology Department, Centre François Baclesse, Av général Harris, 14000, Caen, France

    Audrey Rambeau & Radj Gervais

  2. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Centre François Baclesse, 14000, Caen, France

    Dominique De Raucourt & David Blanchard

  3. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, 14000, Caen, France

    Emmanuel Babin

  4. Clinical Research unit, Centre François Baclesse, 14000, Caen, France

    Audrey Emmanuelle Dugué

  5. Department of Radiotherapy, Head and Neck Unit, Centre François Baclesse, 14000, Caen, France

    Carmen Florescu & Bernard Gery

Authors
  1. Audrey Rambeau
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  2. Radj Gervais
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  3. Dominique De Raucourt
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  4. Emmanuel Babin
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  5. Audrey Emmanuelle Dugué
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  6. Carmen Florescu
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  7. David Blanchard
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  8. Bernard Gery
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Correspondence to Audrey Rambeau.

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No funding has been received for this study.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments.

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Rambeau, A., Gervais, R., De Raucourt, D. et al. Retrospective evaluation of concomitant cetuximab and radiotherapy tolerance for locoregional advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treatment in patients unfit for platinum-based chemotherapy. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 274, 2883–2889 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-017-4550-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-017-4550-7

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