A Randomized Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Toxicity Profile of Paclitaxel-carboplatin as Neo-adjuvant Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Supraglottic and Hypopharyngeal Primaries.

This study was conducted in locally advanced supraglottic and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients to ascertain the efficacy and toxicity profile of a two drug combination neo adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) schedule containing Taxane and Platinum; prior to definitive concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (Def CCRT); sixty patients with stage III, IVA and IVB locally advanced squamous cell cancers of larynx and hypopharynx were randomised to two arms. Thirty patients in study group were treated with NACT with Paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) and Carboplatin (AUC 5-7) for 3, 3 weekly cycles; followed by CCRT in the patients who showed at-least a partial response (PR). These patients were compared with the 30 patients of control group who received upfront CCRT. More patients in Study arm developed grade 3 dysphagia (p = 0.001) and mucositis (p = 0.003). Renal, hematogenous and skin toxicities were identical in two arms. At 3 months post treatment complete response (CR) at primary site was 83.3% and 66.6% (p = 0.245) in study and control arms respectively. At 6 months post treatment; 20 patients (66.6%) in the study group and 17 patients (56.6%) in the control group continued to be in clinic-radiological CR (p = 0.20). NACT with Paclitaxel and Carboplatin is tolerated with manageable toxicities in patients with LAHNSCC (Locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma), with increased Grade 3 dysphagia and mucositis as compared to patients getting upfront CCRT. A longer follow-up period with a larger sample size is required to further evaluate any statistically significant benefit of adding NACT prior to CCRT.

Evaluation of Voice After Definitive Radiotherapy in Patients of Early Stage Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Larynx (Glottis): A Prospective Observational Study.

Post treatment voice quality is an important consideration in choosing the management option for laryngeal cancer. We assessed voice quality after radiotherapy in patients of early squamous cell carcinoma of glottis comprehensively using Videolaryngostroboscopy (VLS), Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia and Strain (GRBAS) scores and Voice Handicap Index (VHI)-10. Fifty four consenting patients of early squamous cell carcinoma of glottis (Tis, T1 and T2) awaiting definitive radiotherapy were recruited consecutively. Voice was evaluated by VLS, GRBAS scores and VHI-10 before radiotherapy as well as 3 months and 12 months after radiotherapy. There were 52 males and 2 females in the study. Hoarseness of voice was the commonest presenting symptom. Mean duration of symptoms was 2.45 months (± 0.80), ranging from 1 to 4 months. 35 (64.82%) were T1 while 19 (35.18%) were T2 lesions. They received 60-70 Gy of radiotherapy in 28-35 fractions. There was only one recurrence on follow up for 12 months. On VLS at 12 months post-RT the periodicity, phase symmetry, mucosal waves and amplitude were normal in 74.07%, 70.37%, 56.67% and 78.7% cases respectively. Complete glottic closure was obtained in 72.22%. The voice was 'acceptable' (Grade 1 or 2 on VLS parameters) in more than 90% cases. Mean total GRBAS score was 3.39 (± 2.67). Mean total VHI-10 was 6.7 (± 1.75). All indices were significantly better than pre RT levels. Good quality of voice can be expected after radiotherapy for early glottic cancer in majority of patients.

Sociodemographic, clinical profile, and treatment characteristics of oncology patients developing radiation recall phenomenon: Two tertiary care center's experience of an eternal unpredictable phenomenon of cancer treatment.

Objectives: To determine the socio-demographic and clinical profile of cancer patients developing radiation recall phenomenon or radiation recall dermatitis following chemotherapy administration, previously treated with external irradiation. We assessed its incidence, severity, frequency, differentiation from radio-sensitization and radiation-dermatitis, its correlation with radiation dose and chemotherapeutic agent, and various parameters affecting its occurrence. Materials and Methods: This observational prospective study was designed for 1092/2676 (50.2%) patients of histologically proven carcinoma breast, carcinoma lung, lymphomas, chest wall sarcomas, thymomas, thymic carcinomas, nasopharyngeal cancer, bladder carcinoma, rectal cancer, and metastatic cases who received radiation therapy followed by chemotherapy. Intake, treatment, observation, and follow-up were done from July 2014 to July 2021 for 7 years in two tertiary care cancer institutes of government setup. Results: In our study, majority of recall phenomena were reported in breast carcinoma 43/71 (60.5%) followed by carcinoma esophagus with 07/71 (9.8%) cases. Females developed 54.9% grade-I/II and 90% grade-III/IV recall cases compared to males with 45.1% and 10% cases, respectively (P = 0.005). Median radiation dose used was 45 Gy (dose range 8-70 Gy) (P = 0.656). Docetaxel resulted in 55% recall cases followed by paclitaxel with 12.7% of cases. Combination therapy reported 71.8% of cases compared to monotherapy with 28.2% of cases. Recall-cases recorded in the time period of 3-4 weeks between radiation and chemotherapy were 59/71 (83%) and those reported in >4 weeks were 12/71 (17%). Time-gap between 3 and 4 weeks reported 49% grade-I/II and 100% grade-III/IV recall-cases while time-gap >4 weeks resulted in 26% and 0% cases respectively (P = 0.000). Conclusion: In this study, taxanes and platinum-agents were the most common chemotherapeutic drugs involved in the occurrence of the recall phenomenon. Multi-drug regimens resulted in higher recall cases compared to monotherapy. Radiation dosage did not cause any significant impact. The risk and severity of recall reactions increased with female gender and shorter time-interval between radiation and systemic therapy, while early-onset recall cases displayed greater severity. This precedented but unpredictable phenomenon ceases to be a topic to be discarded in this modern era of highly conformal radiation therapy techniques and targeted cancer therapy.

Carcinoma Penis Manifesting as Upfront Supraclavicular Lymph Node Metastases Detected by 18 F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Scan: Report of an Extremely Rare and Aggressive Case.

Carcinoma penis is a rare malignancy accounting 0.5 to 1% cases in the developed countries with a slightly higher incidence in the developing nations. Slow locoregional progression is characteristic of penile carcinoma and distant metastases are very uncommon. We hereby report a case of highly aggressive squamous cell penile carcinoma in a 46-year-old male with fulminant upfront distant dissemination to left supraclavicular lymph nodes without involving the inguinal and pelvic nodes detected by whole-body 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan. The scan also detected lytic destructive lesion involving the pelvic and adjacent bones with infiltration of skeletal muscles. He was treated with palliative radiotherapy to the weight-bearing sites followed by systemic chemotherapy. A thorough review of literature reveals that our case may be one of the rarest cases ever reported in world literature where an asymptomatic penile carcinoma presents with upfront supraclavicular lymph node metastasis bypassing the inguinal, pelvic, and retroperitoneal lymph node chains.

Carcinoma penis manifesting as upfront supraclavicular lymph node metastases detected by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan: Report of an extremely rare and aggressive case.

Carcinoma penis is a rare malignancy accounting 0.5%-1% of cases in the developed countries with a slightly higher incidence in the developing nations. Slow locoregional progression is characteristic of penile carcinoma (PC) and distant metastases are very uncommon. We hereby report a case of highly aggressive squamous cell PC in a 46-year-old male with fulminant upfront distant dissemination to left supraclavicular lymph nodes (LNs) without involving the inguinal and pelvic nodes detected by whole-body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography scan. The scan also detected lytic destructive lesion involving the pelvic and adjacent bones with infiltration of skeletal muscles. He was treated with palliative radiotherapy to the wight-bearing sites followed by systemic chemotherapy. A thorough review of literature reveals that our case may be one of the rarest cases ever reported in world literature where an asymptomatic PC presents with upfront supraclavicular LN metastasis bypassing the inguinal, pelvic, and retroperitoneal LN chains.

A case series of unusual presentations of Burkitt's lymphoma.

CONTEXT: Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) is one of the fastest growing malignancies. It is the most common subtype of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in childhood. It has three major subtypes - endemic, sporadic, and immunodeficiency-associated types. AIMS: This study aims to study the clinicomorphologic features of this disease entity and to find optimal imaging technique for such cases. SETTING AND DESIGN: A retrospective observational study in a tertiary care center of academic and research potential. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We are presenting three unusual cases of sporadic type of BL who presented initially as localized right iliac fossa mass mimicking as acute appendicitis. Initially, localized presentation progressed to diffuse abdominal mass lesions causing intestinal obstruction. RESULTS: These cases had emphasized the importance of accurate diagnosis by the ultrasonography (USG) or computed tomography (CT) scan for early diagnosis so as to manage such cases simply by early appropriate medical treatment. CONCLUSION: In this article, we will discuss the clinical and imaging features of BL with the role of USG, CT scan and positron emission tomography/CT in the abdominopelvic imaging of pediatric patients.

Tolerance of Chemoradiation in Advanced Head and Neck Cancers: Comparison Between Inpatients and Outpatients.

Concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) is the mainstay of treatment for majority of locally advanced head and neck carcinomas (LAHNC). Addition of chemotherapy to radiotherapy increases the probability of local control and improved disease-free survival but at the cost of acute and delayed toxicities. A retrospective observational study. To compare the tolerance of CCRT and its toxicity profile amongst two groups, first arm (Arm A) being outdoor patients and the second group (Arm B) was hospitalized patients of LAHNC in an oncology centre of a tertiary care hospital. A total of 100 patients were enrolled, 50 in each arm. Overall, the most common site was oropharynx, followed by larynx and hypopharynx. 38 patients in Arm A received full 6 cycles of weekly chemotherapy with Inj Cisplatin infusion. 39 of the hospitalized patients completed 6 cycles of weekly Cisplatin, 04 patients also received 3 weekly Cisplatin. Average duration of treatment was 49.18 days in arm A and 50.92 days in arm B. Incidence of Grade II onwards dysphagia was 48 and 45 (96 and 90%) in Arm A and Arm B respectively; Chi Square value-0.6 (Yate's corrected); P value-0.43. Grade III oral mucositis was seen in 14% patients in Arm A and 34% patients in Arm B. 3 patients (6%) in Arm A and 14 patients (28%) in Arm B has Grade II and III hematological toxicities and nephrological toxicities. Aspiration pneumonia was seen in 2 patients (4%) in Arm A and in 4 patients (8%) in Arm B, Chi Square value-0.2 (Yate's corrected) P value-0.67. The incidence of febrile neutropenia was 3 and 10 in Arms A and B (6 and 20%) respectively. The tolerance of CCRT in hospitalized patients is marginally better, with relatively few associated complications as compared to outdoor setting. Every institute should promulgate its own guidelines regarding hospitalization of such patients.

Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome: the Evergreen Menace of Radiation Therapy.

Fibrosis is a descriptive appellation referring to the obliteration of normal tissue components replaced by matrix and disorganized and varied collagen fibrils that result in the loss of organ function and frequent tissue contraction leading to death or significant deterioration in the quality of life. Radiation fibrosis syndrome (RFS) is a progressive fibrotic tissue sclerosis with various clinical symptoms in the irradiation field. It is usually a late complication of radiation therapy and may occur weeks or even years after treatment. It may affect the musculoskeletal, soft tissue, neural tissue, and cardiopulmonary systems. RFS is a serious and lifelong disorder that, nevertheless, may often be prevented when identified and rehabilitated early. Genetic factors likely play a significant role in the development of chronic fibrotic response to radiation injury that persists even after the initial insult is no longer present. Management of this syndrome is a complex process comprising medication, education, rehabilitation, and physical and occupational therapy. A bibliographical search was carried out in PubMed using the following keywords: "radiation fibrosis," "radiation fibrosis syndrome," and "radiation-induced fibrosis." We also reviewed the most relevant and recent series on the current management of RFS, and the reviewed data are discussed in this article. This review discusses the pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and functional disorders as late effects of radiation treatment.

To evaluate immunoreactivity of cyclooxygenase-2 in cases of endometrial carcinoma and correlate it with expression of p53 and vascular endothelial growth factor.

CONTEXT: Increased levels of prostaglandins have been detected in cancers of several anatomic sites, including those of endometrium. Several studies have shown that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression is aberrantly increased in various human epithelial cancers, and cellular up-regulation of COX-2 may be a common mechanism in epithelial carcinogenesis. AIMS: To examine the expressions of COX-2, p53 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in endometrial cancer and their relationships with clinicopathologic characteristics. SETTING AND DESIGN: A retrospective observational study in a tertiary care center of academic and research potential. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sections from fifty cases of endometrial carcinoma were stained imunohistochemically with COX-2, p53, and VEGF. The expressions of COX-2, p53, and VEGF in endometrial cancer were examined. RESULTS: COX-2 was positive 19 cases (38%) of endometrial carcinoma. The COX-2 immunopositivity was 50%, 28%, and 41% in Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3; and 27%, 46%, 67%, and 100% cases of Stage I, II, III, IV, respectively. p53 was positive in 24 cases (48%); 0%, 33%, and 67% in Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3; and 27%, 77%, 83%, and 100% cases of Stage I, II, III, IV, respectively. VEGF was positive in 21 cases (42%); of which 0%, 33%, and 67% cases were in Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3; and 17%, 77%, 83%, and 100% cases were in Stage I, II, III, IV, respectively. CONCLUSION: The expression of COX-2 increase with stage of the endometrial tumor and with the expression of p53 and VEGF in the endometrial carcinomas. COX-2 inhibitors may have role in the prevention of endometrial carcinomas in high-risk cases and in preventing recurrences after treatment.

Disease characteristics and treatment attributes of patients admitted to the oncology ward of a tertiary care government hospital.

BACKGROUND: The burden of oncology patients in the most developing countries including India has witnessed a steady, progressive, and significant upward trend attributed mainly to increased life span, availability of better imaging modalities, increased awareness, and lifestyle and environmental changes. The management of such patients in government setup often presents lots of challenges such as advanced stage of presentation, existence of medical comorbid conditions, scarcity of beds, and long multimodal treatment often complicated with therapy-induced toxicities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken in a Radiation Oncology ward catering to male patients over 6-month duration in a superspecialty hospital of defense services. The clinical, pathological, and treatment-related attributes were recorded. Wherever possible, the clinical course of stay, complications during admission, and the response to primary management were studied. RESULTS: A total of 570 patients were admitted for 6-month duration. Of these patients, 240 were transferred in from other peripheral service hospitals while the remaining were admitted directly from this hospital or transferred from various wards of this hospital. The mean age of the patients was 46.5 years. Most common histology was squamous cell carcinoma. The most common site of primary was head and neck, followed closely by central nervous system tumors and gastrointestinal tract. A total of 185 patients were fresh cases admitted for workup and complete duration of definitive management (of which 82 received concurrent chemoradiation), 280 patients were for follow-up, 70 patients were admitted briefly for supportive care during a while on chemoradiation, and 15 patients were admitted for administrative reasons. Fifty-eight patients developed Grade II and onward therapy-induced hematological, gastrointestinal, cutaneous complications, and 14 patients suffered from febrile neutropenia. Thirty patients developed other significant complications warranting cross-referrals to other specialists. One hundred and thirty patients underwent more than one imaging modalities (contrast-enhanced computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, bone scan, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography). The duration of stay varied from 3 to 64 days, with an average duration of 38 days. There were 18 deaths during the study period. CONCLUSION: The course of hospitalization for oncology cases is often prolonged and complicated by significant complications, warranting aggressive supportive care by various concerned specialists. These patients often require multiple imaging for primary and metastatic workup. There is a need for judicious selection of patients meriting admission for optimum utilization of existing resources.

Clinical Profile of Pediatric Oncology Patients Treated by External Beam Radiotherapy: An Institutional Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric tumors are a heterogeneous group of malignant conditions requiring multimodal treatment, and management of such cases is at time challenging. We present the clinical profile of pediatric cancer patients who received radiation, either alone or as adjuvant to surgery and chemotherapy; in prophylactic, radical or palliative clinical setting. AIM: This study was envisaged to review our experience of pediatric oncology cases, their clinical and morphological profile, dosage schedule of radiotherapy, and the therapy induced complications. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a retrospective, observational study carried out in an apex tertiary care cancer institute of government set-up in a developing country. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The treatment charts and clinical summary of patients who had received radiation over the last 5 years period were retrieved and perused. Various clinical and pathological parameters were studied and inferences drawn. RESULTS: A total of 50 patients got radiation over 5 year study-period, including 37 male and 13 female patients. The commonest age group of presentation was 8-12 years followed by 13-16 years. The mean age of presentation was 9.3 years. The most common diagnosis was hematological malignancies followed by CNS tumors with 21 and 13 patients respectively. Overall the most common indication of RT was in adjuvant setting after surgery as the definitive management, where 24 patients were irradiated; and the next common indication was prophylactic cranial irradiation in 14 patients of childhood leukemias. 10 patients tolerated treatment with Grade 1 site-specific or systemic toxicities while 7 patients developed Grade 2 and more systemic toxicities. 9 patients received craniospinal irradiation, common indications being medulloblastoma and Atypical teratoma rhabdoid tumor (ATRT). 3 patients received concurrent chemotherapy with weekly Inj Vincristine. 17 patients required sedation or short general anaesthesia for radiation planning and execution. CONCLUSION: External beam Radiotherapy constitutes an important component of management of pediatric cancers. One should be judicious in Radiotherapy planning, execution and monitoring acute and delayed toxicities.

Profile of patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy: A single-institute study from a tertiary care oncology center.

BACKGROUND: Palliative radiotherapy (PRT) plays a significant role in the palliation of symptoms in patients with cancer and constitutes nearly 50% of the workload in different settings. AIMS: The aim is to study patient-, disease-, and treatment-related characteristics in locoregionally advanced and metastatic malignancies meriting palliative management. SETTING AND DESIGN: This was a retrospective observational study in a tertiary care government institute with academic and research potential. METHODOLOGY: The electronic medical records, medical documents, and radiotherapy (RT) treatment charts were retrieved and studied. OBSERVATIONS: A total of 460 patients were included in the study over 2 years, forming 30% of the total number of patients treated during the study period. Three hundred and ninety-six patients received PRT to the metastatic sites, while 64 patients received extremely hypofractionated PRT to the primary for symptomatic relief. Totally 442 patients showed good symptomatic response to PRT. One hundred and thirty-eight patients underwent re-irradiation. Lung was the most common primary site seen in 155 cases. The most common indication for PRT was palliation of pain from painful metastases as seen in 240 cases, and the next common indication was palliative whole-brain RT for brain metastases as seen in 159 cases. CONCLUSION: PRT forms an integral and important aspect of palliative care to the vast number of patients harboring metastatic disease that warrants some form of treatment for symptomatic relief. Short course of PRT in outdoor setting is a preferred mode of treatment to improve the quality of life of these distressed patients.

The phenomenon of drop in output at larger field sizes for telecobalt units.

It is known that the output factors (OPFs) for external-beam radiotherapy units increase with field size due to increased scattered radiation from the collimator system. Saturation in the OPF value is generally reported beyond approximately 30 × 30 cm(2). For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, we report on a drop in OPF values, although marginal, measured for a telecobalt machine beyond the 38 × 38 cm(2) field size. We believe that reporting and explaining the results will lead to a better understanding of the scatter composition of the radiation from telecobalt machines. This also has the potential to impact the estimation of low dose regions in patients, in addition to being a purely scientific inquiry. We used Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to validate the measured values. The MC data showed that the decrease in OPF was due to decreased scatter from the machine head.

Fertility preservation in young patients with cancer.

Infertility can arise as a consequence of treatment of oncological conditions. The parallel and continued improvement in both the management of oncology and fertility cases in recent times has brought to the forefront the potential for fertility preservation in patients being treated for cancer. Many survivors will maintain their reproductive potential after the successful completion of treatment for cancer. However total body irradiation, radiation to the gonads, and certain high dose chemotherapy regimens can place women at risk for acute ovarian failure or premature menopause and men at risk for temporary or permanent azoospermia. Providing information about risk of infertility and possible interventions to maintain reproductive potential are critical for the adolescent and young adult population at the time of diagnosis. There are established means of preserving fertility before cancer treatment; specifically, sperm cryopreservation for men and in vitro fertilization and embryo cryopreservation for women. Several innovative techniques are being actively investigated, including oocyte and ovarian follicle cryopreservation, ovarian tissue transplantation, and in vitro follicle maturation, which may expand the number of fertility preservation choices for young cancer patients. Fertility preservation may also require some modification of cancer therapy; thus, patients' wishes regarding future fertility and available fertility preservation alternatives should be discussed before initiation of therapy.

Ectopic thymoma presenting as a large intrathoracic mass.

Thymoma is an epithelial neoplasm of the thymus, which commonly lies in the anterior mediastinum. Unusually it can be found in other locations as well. Ectopic thymoma rarely presents as an intrathoracic tumor. We report a case of an ectopic thymoma presenting as a giant right intrathoracic tumor that was treated with resection. The patient was a 49-year-old postmenopausal lady who presented with heaviness in chest and breathlessness. Detailed investigation including chest computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-defined large solid tumor in the right thoracic cavity. Surgery was performed based on the radiological findings. A large solid tumor measuring 12 cm x 10 cm x 8 cm was found in the thoracic cavity, adherent to the pericardium, diaphragm and the right mediastinal pleura without apparent invasion. The tumor was completely resected. The diagnosis given as World Health Organization classification-Type B1 Muller-Hermelink classification-predominantly cortical thymoma.

Comparison of simulator-CT versus simulator fluoroscopy versus surface marking based radiation treatment planning: a prospective study by three-dimensional evaluation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Field placement for Radiation Treatment Planning can be done based on the surface markings or simulator fluoroscopy or simulator with CT facilities. A prospective study was carried out to compare these three techniques of radiation treatment planning to quantitatively find out the difference in normal tissue dosages and target volume coverage in the three groups after three-dimensional evaluation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The CT scans of 30 patients in the treatment position, taken on a Shimadzu SCT-3000 TF scanner at 1cm intervals, were transferred to Theraplan-500 three-dimensional radiation treatment planning computer. The normal tissues and target volumes (GTV and CTV) were outlined on all the CT slices as per (ICRU) Report no. 50. Three types of radiation treatment planning was done sequentially: Plan I-based on the surface markings alone, Plan II-based on simulator-fluoroscopy, and Plan III-based on Simulator-CT. RESULTS: The mean dose to 95% of the clinical target volume (D95) was increased by 4.4 and 6.4% by Plans II and III as compared with Plan I. The mean dose to 3/3rd (D(3/3)) to all the critical organs was decreased by 6.6 and 8.4% by Plans II and III as compared to Plan I. The mean time, in simulator room, for field placement for Plans I-III was 6.2, 14.6 and 44 min, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Thus for adequate coverage of target volumes and sparing normal tissues, Simulator-CT based radiation treatment planning is the best method of radiation treatment planning though it is more time consuming.

Comparison of sequential chemoradiation with radiation alone in the treatment of advanced head and neck cancers.

OBJECTIVES: To compare locoregional control with alternating chemo radiation and radiation alone in patients with locally advanced head and neck carcinoma. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective randomized study. SETTING: Tertiary academic referral center. PATIENTS: 50 patients of biopsy proven locally-advanced carcinoma of head and neck. INTERVENTION: 25 patients were kept in Group I or study group (i.e. alternating chemo-radiation) and 25 patients in Group II or control group (i.e. radiation alone). In the study group, patients were given 3 cycles of chemotherapy (Cisplatin 20 mg/m([2]) and Inj. 5-FU 200mg/m([2]) from day 1-5 of each week) during weeks 1,5 and 9 alternated with radiation dose of 10Gy/week was given during weeks 2,3,4 and 6,7,8. In the control group, patients were given a total dose of 60Gy in 6 weeks. OUTCOME MEASURES: The response rate at the primary site and nodal site was better in study group as compared to control group. RESULTS: On comparing the response at the primary and nodal site together, 72% (18/25) patients of group I and 44% (11/25) patients of group II showed CR. PR was seen in 28% (7/25) and 36% (9/25) patients in group I and II respectively. No response was seen in 5/25 (20%) of patients in Group II. CONCLUSION: Our study has revealed that alternating/ sequential chemoradiation is a promising and feasible approach for patients in advanced head and neck cancer.