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Long-term remission of locally recurrent oropharyngeal cancer after docetaxel-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab

  • Case Report
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

In recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma ineligible for resection or irradiation, treatment aims primarily at symptom control and quality of life enhancement with an expected outcome of 6–12 months.

Methods

In 2005, a male patient, born in 1944, with a second local recurrence of human papillomavirus negative tonsil cancer was enrolled in the EXTREME trial, and randomized to platinum/5-fluorouracil/cetuximab arm resulting in partial remission with progression-free survival of 12 months. The second-line systemic therapy comprised 5 cycles of 3-weekly docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil regimen plus weekly cetuximab.

Results

As confirmed on imaging and repeated biopsies, complete response was achieved with disease-free survival of 8 years and follow-up period of 12 years. Severe acute toxicities during the taxane-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab included grade 4 anorexia and grade 3 febrile neutropenia.

Conclusions

Poor tumor differentiation, no weight loss, oropharyngeal location, white race, and particularly the induced complete response were most likely the key favorable prognostic factors in the reported patient. The possibility of a synergistic interaction between taxanes and cetuximab should be further explored.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contribution of Professor Martin Lammens (Department of Pathology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium), who provided histological micrographs.

Conflict of interest

Professor Vermorken has participated in advisory board of Merck.

Ethical standards

All patients in the Department of Medical Oncology of the Antwerp University Hospital are treated in accordance with the ethical standards of the institute, which are in agreement with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. This patient participated in trials that were agreed upon by the Ethics Committee of the Institute. The patient is in full agreement with reporting the course of his disease in the literature.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650, Edegem, Belgium

    Petr Szturz, Pol Specenier & Jan B. Vermorken

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, School of Medicine, University Hospital Brno and Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

    Petr Szturz

  3. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Pol Specenier, Carl Van Laer, Danielle Van Den Weyngaert, Olivier Vanderveken & Jan B. Vermorken

  4. Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium

    Carl Van Laer & Olivier Vanderveken

  5. Department of Radiotherapy, University Radiotherapy Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Danielle Van Den Weyngaert

  6. Department of Radiology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium

    Bob Corthouts

  7. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium

    Laurens Carp

  8. Department of Pathology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium

    Eric Van Marck

Authors
  1. Petr Szturz
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  2. Pol Specenier
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  3. Carl Van Laer
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  7. Eric Van Marck
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  8. Olivier Vanderveken
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  9. Jan B. Vermorken
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Petr Szturz.

Additional information

Deceased: E. Van Marck.

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Szturz, P., Specenier, P., Van Laer, C. et al. Long-term remission of locally recurrent oropharyngeal cancer after docetaxel-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 273, 1629–1636 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-015-3673-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-015-3673-y

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