Phase I study of hyperfractionated accelerated radiation and simultaneous Carboplatin therapy for advanced head and neck carcinomas.

From 1990 to 1991 15 patients with advanced head and neck carcinomas underwent hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (2 x 1.6 Gy/day, five days/week, total dose 64.0 to 67.2 Gy) and simultaneous intravenous application of Carboplatin (60 mg/m2, days 1 to 5 and 29 to 33) in a pilot study. Eleven patients had T4 and four had T3 tumours. At the end of treatment twelve patients had a complete tumour remission and in the others a partial tumour involution was seen. Although acute side-effects were more pronounced compared to conventional irradiation this treatment regimen is feasible and the initial complete remission rate of 80% is encouraging.