Impact of metronomic neoadjuvant chemotherapy on early tongue cancer

A metronomic schedule of chemotherapy (resulting in a greater frequency of drug delivery) has shown efficacy in head and neck cancer. Our aim was to investigate the overall survival in tongue cancer patients with metronomic neoadjuvant chemotherapy with bleomycin compared to those with surgery alone.

In this retrospective study, 117 patients with stages I-II tongue cancer, who had undergone surgery, were divided into the "surgery group" or "metronomic neoadjuvant chemotherapy with bleomycin (15 mg × 6) group." The rate of overall survival was the primary outcome measure; the secondary outcome measures included the rates of distant metastasis, regional recurrence, and local recurrence.

Of these patients, 54 underwent surgery alone and 63 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy increased overall survival (76 vs. 90 %, P = 0.039). The neoadjuvant chemotherapy group had a significantly lower rates of distant metastasis (0 vs. 13 %, P = 0.003). There was no chemotherapy-related death.

Metronomic neoadjuvant chemotherapy decreased the rates of distant metastasis and increased the overall survival of tongue tumor patients.