Concomitant cisplatin and hyperfractionated external beam irradiation for advanced malignancy of the head and neck

The combination of cisplatin and hyperfractionated external beam irradiation (HEBI), followed by salvage surgery when indicated, was evaluated in patients with advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Thirty patients with stage III (n = 5) or IV (n = 25) disease received intravenous cisplatin 100 mg/m2 by 6-hour continuous infusion on days 1, 21, and 42 of HEBI. Radiation fractions of 110 cGy were given twice daily, separated by 4 to 6 hours, beginning within 12 hours after cisplatin delivery. Doses to the primary site ranged from 60 to 76.35 Gy (median: 72.3 Gy), with 60 to 74 Gy to nodal sites. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 28 months (median: 19 months). Clinical complete response of the primary site was seen in 27 of 29 patients (93%), and complete clinical clearance of adenopathy in 20 of 26 (76%). A second biopsy 6 to 8 weeks after completion of treatment showed residual disease in both the primary and nodal sites in three patients, and in only the primary site in one patient. Four patients with persistent adenopathy had pathologic confirmation at surgery. Four patients had recurrence after negative biopsy results 6 to 9 months after treatment biopsy. At present, with median follow-up of 19 months, eight patients (26%) have died secondary to uncontrolled primary or nodal disease. Two patients have died of nonrelated causes. Overall, 10 of 30 patients (66%) remain alive with no evidence of disease. Mucositis and weight loss were the most common side effects of treatment. Seven patients developed significant xerostomia, and four have cisplatin-related hearing loss requiring amplification. The early evidence of excellent response (89% pathologic complete response of primary sites; 78% complete response of nodal sites), coupled with acceptable treatment morbidity, warrants further study of this approach.