[Clinical assessment of various methods of radio-modification in radiotherapy of advanced oropharyngeal cancer].

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of RF-hyperthermia and regional intraarterial hyperglycemia as adjuvant radiotherapy vs conventional radiotherapy of advanced head and neck cancers. Altogether 115 patients with advanced T3-T-4 carcinoma of the tongue, oral cavity and oropharynx underwent external radiotherapy (Co-60). An RF capacitative heating device operating at 40.68 MHz was employed twice a week, a total of 4 sessions per patient. Intratumor temperature was 41.5-43 degrees C. Hyperglycemia was performed via the branches of the carotid artery, a total of 3 sessions per patient. There were 4 groups (1-31 patients on conventional radiotherapy; 2-24 patients on thermoradiotherapy; 3-30 patients on radiotherapy plus regional hyperglycemia; 4-30 patients underwent combined radio-modification). A complete response was 29% for conventional radiotherapy, 67% for thermoradiotherapy, 60% for radiotherapy plus hyperglycemia, and 77% for combined radio-modification. A 2-year local control was found to be 13% for radiotherapy, 37% for thermoradiotherapy, 17% for radiotherapy plus hyperglycemia, and 35% for combined radio-modification. Only hyperthermia was found to improve a 2-year local control of advanced oropharyngeal cancer.