Accelerated fractionation radiation therapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

We treated 14 patients who had advanced head and neck cancer with an accelerated fractionation schedule of irradiation consisting of two fractions given 6 hours apart. In the morning a volume of 1.7 Gy was given to an area that encompassed the entire tumor, enlarged lymph nodes, and all areas at risk for microscopic disease. Six hours later, 1.1 Gy was given to an area that included only the tumor and any enlarged lymph nodes, with a 2-cm margin. The treatment was well tolerated; of the 13 patients who completed therapy, six did not require a break in therapy, and seven patients did. The median rest period was 2 days. There was no grade 4 toxicity. Grade 3 toxicity included skin changes (one case), mucositis (two), dysphagia (two), weight loss (three), and a decrease in the hemoglobin level (one case). The response rate in the 13 who completed therapy was 13/13 (100%); 11 of the 13 (83%) had a complete response. Only one of the 11 who achieved a complete response had failure at the primary site. At a median follow-up of 24 months, the absolute survival was 7/13 (54%) and the corrected survival was 7/10 (70%). This technique permits radiation therapy to be given on an accelerated schedule without a planned break in treatment. The overall response rate and survival at 2 years was excellent.