Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatinum and 5-fluorouracil in advanced head and neck cancer

Forty-one patients affected by solid tumors of the head and neck were treated with neoadjuvant therapy before radiotherapy or surgery. All patients received therapy with cisplatinum 100 mg/m2 day 1 and 5-fluorouracil 1000 mg/day for days 1-5 by continuous infusion with a portable chronoinfusor. After three cycles, we observed an objective response in 34/41 patients (82.9%), with 9 (21.9%) complete remissions and 25 (61%) partial remissions. The main side effects were few and controllable. In our experience, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was able to induce a significant remission in 4/5 of patients, with better prospects for subsequent surgery and/or radiotherapy.