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Cetuximab/cisplatin and radiotherapy in HNSCC: is there a favorite choice?

  • Rapid Communication
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Introduction

In the absence of a published head-to-head trial between concomitant cisplatin-radiotherapy vs cetuximab-radiotherapy, we compared results of cetuximab vs cisplatin in unresectable HNSCC in our daily clinical practice.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively analyzed all consecutive patients with unresectable HNSCC treated at Clinical Oncology Unit of the University Hospital of Ferrara (Italy) from October 2008 to February 2010.

Results

We evaluated 21 patients: at last follow-up, 6 patients (28.6%) were deceased, 15 patients (71.4%) were alive and, among these, 13 (61.9%) were alive without evidence of disease (NED). Median follow-up time was 9.74 months. Median OS was 10.95 months. General characteristics were similar in the two subgroups, except for median age (low in cisplatin-subgroup: 55 vs 72) and the type of response (with a high numbers of complete response in cisplatin-subgroup). By the univariate analysis there was no statistical significance difference in OS (p= 0.898) between the two subgroups.

Conclusions

Based on state-of-the-art, it was not possible to identify either treatment regimen is as superior in prolonging either locoregional control or OS: our results seem to indicate that the two treatments may be equally efficacious and deferring the choice of treatment on the toxicity profile. Head-to-head trials are needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Palliative Care Unit, Mater Salutis Hospital, ULSS 21, Legnago Verona, Italy

    Jacopo Giuliani

  2. Clinical Oncology Unit — St. Anna University-Hospital, Ferrara, Italy

    Marina Marzola

Authors
  1. Jacopo Giuliani
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  2. Marina Marzola
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jacopo Giuliani.

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Giuliani, J., Marzola, M. Cetuximab/cisplatin and radiotherapy in HNSCC: is there a favorite choice?. cent.eur.j.med 9, 279–284 (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-013-0154-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-013-0154-9

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