[Combination therapy with TS-1]

The combination with cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-FU is considered the chemotherapy of choice for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). TS-1, a modulation of tegafur developed in Japan, is an orally administered active agent for HNSCC. Some clinical phase I/II studies on the combination of CDDP and TS-1 have been reported. The combination showed a good response rate, 67.6% for both advanced and recurrent HNSCC, in our clinical phase II study. Regimens of TS-1 combined with carboplatin or nedaplatin are also reported.TS-1 containing regimens appear to be effective for HNSCC, and multi-institutional phase II studies with large sample size are needed in future. The combination TS-1 and radiotherapy, its dose and schedule,are being studied in phase I trials for advanced HNSCC. Patient compliance is better than with 5-FU injection because TS-1 is orally administered. The adverse effect, especially in terms of bone marrow toxicity, is equal or better than with 5-FU injection. The TS-1 combination with radiotherapy is a useful regimen for outpatients. The efficacy and adverse effects should be studied in carefully designed phase I/II trials. TS-1 will be one of the key drugs for HNSCC in future.