Concomitant chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin and 5-flourouracil in locally advanced unresectable head and neck carcinomas

ABSTRACT

To see the effect of concomitant chemo-radiotherapy on the survival of patient, to assess the toxicity of different treatment arms and the effect of age, sex and bulk or tumour on survival and compare the literature; Radiotherapy Department, Nishtar Hospital, Multan. This study was conducted in the Radiotherapy Department, Nishtar Hospital, Multan during the period of 2 years from 1998 to 2000. A total of 200 patients were included in the study. Patients were randomized into three following groups. Out of 130 patients, 83 were males and the remaining 47 were females. The male to female ratio being 1.81. The mean age of the patients included in the study was 52 years, range being 22-80 years the patients of head and neck cancer in the trial had different sites of involvement. In the trial the patients presented with various symptoms such as pain, swelling, ulcer, bleeding, dysphagia, dyspnea, hoarseness of voice and nasal obstruction etc. No patient had early stage disease. All the patients in the trial had the experience of nausea and vomiting, it was more marked in patients having radiotherapy; either alone or in concomitant with chemotherapy. Concomitant chemo-radiotherapy in locally advanced, unresectable head and neck carcinoma is statistically superior to induction chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy and the standard radiotherapy alone