[Induction chemotherapy with cisplatin-5 fluorouracil. Current results in cervicofacial carcinology]

150 patients were treated at the Centre Antoine-Lacassagne by CDDP-5 FU induction chemotherapy. Amongst the 134 cases suitable for evaluation, there were 86.6% of greater than 50% responses including 45.5% complete responses (CR). These clinical findings led to changes in post-chemotherapy protocol, mutilating surgical procedures such as total laryngectomy being replaced in complete responders by radiotherapy only. These changes did not lead to any alteration in the survival of the patients. The degree of tumour control at 1 and 2 years was 91.4% and 81.4% for complete responses, 74.6% and 60.6% for partial responses (PR) with survival rates of 1 and 2 years 94% and 78.3% for CR and 77% and 55.1% for PR. The possibility of conservative treatment with a high level of reliability would alone appear to be justification for the use of induction chemotherapy in cervico-facial oncology.