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Feasibility and efficacy of induction docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy combined with concurrent weekly cisplatin chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

International Journal of Clinical Oncology volume 20, pages 431–437 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of induction docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy followed by concurrent weekly cisplatin chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods

Between 2010 and 2013, 30 patients with Stage IV HNSCC were treated in Hokkaido University Hospital with three cycles of induction chemotherapy (docetaxel 75 mg/m2 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2, day 1; and 5-fluorouracil 750 mg/m2/day 120 h continuous infusion, every 3 weeks) followed by concurrent weekly cisplatin (40 mg/m2, on weeks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7) chemoradiotherapy.

Results

Three courses of induction chemotherapy were performed in 25 patients (83 %) with grade 3–4 toxicities during induction chemotherapy observed in 22 patients (73 %). The major toxicities were hematologic, with 22 cases (73 %) showing grade 3–4 neutropenia. Radiotherapy was completed (70 Gy) in 29 patients (97 %), while a total of 19 patients (63 %) completed five (13 patients) or six (6 patients) courses of chemotherapy. During concurrent chemoradiotherapy, no grade 4 hematological toxicities were observed. Grade 4 dermatitis was observed in one patient, and grade 3 mucositis was observed in 12 patients. There were no treatment-related deaths during the induction chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The 1- and 2-year progression-free survival rates and the 1- and 2-year overall survival rates were 86 %, 72 %, and 89 %, 81 %, respectively.

Conclusion

Sequential therapy composed of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent weekly cisplatin chemoradiotherapy is feasible, showing encouraging results in patients with locally advanced HNSCC. Concurrent weekly cisplatin chemoradiotherapy following induction chemotherapy appears to be a suitable alternative to three-weekly high-dose cisplatin therapy.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.

Conflict of interest

No author has any conflict of interest.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan

    Takatsugu Mizumachi, Akihiro Homma, Tomohiko Kakizaki, Tomohiro Sakashita, Satoshi Kano, Hiromitsu Hatakeyama & Satoshi Fukuda

  2. Department of Radiation Medicine, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan

    Kazuhiko Tsuchiya, Koichi Yasuda, Rikiya Onimaru & Hiroki Shirato

  3. Department of Medical Oncology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan

    Jun Taguchi, Yasushi Shimizu, Ichiro Kinoshita & Hirotoshi Akita

Authors
  1. Takatsugu Mizumachi
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  2. Akihiro Homma
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  3. Tomohiko Kakizaki
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  4. Tomohiro Sakashita
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  5. Satoshi Kano
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  6. Hiromitsu Hatakeyama
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  7. Kazuhiko Tsuchiya
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  8. Koichi Yasuda
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  9. Rikiya Onimaru
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  10. Hiroki Shirato
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  11. Jun Taguchi
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  12. Yasushi Shimizu
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  13. Ichiro Kinoshita
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  14. Hirotoshi Akita
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  15. Satoshi Fukuda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takatsugu Mizumachi.

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Mizumachi, T., Homma, A., Kakizaki, T. et al. Feasibility and efficacy of induction docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy combined with concurrent weekly cisplatin chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Int J Clin Oncol 20, 431–437 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-014-0726-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-014-0726-y

Keywords

  • Head and neck cancer
  • Induction chemotherapy
  • Chemoradiotherapy