Outpatient oral chemotherapy with S-1 for unresectable or distant metastatic head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND

This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of S-1 chemotherapy for unresectable or distant metastatic head and neck cancer. S-1 is an oral anticancer agent containing a combination of 2 modulators and tegafur, which is a pro-drug of 5-fluorouracil.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

S-1 was orally administered to 27 patients with unresectable and/or distant metastatic head and neck cancer at a dose based on the patient's body surface area in an outpatient setting. S-1 was administered for either 14 or 28 consecutive days followed by a 7- or 14-day rest period, respectively. We investigated the response rate, the cumulative survival rate and the time-to-progression for these patients with adverse events.

RESULTS

The response rate was 11.1% (three out of the 27 cases: one case of a complete response and two cases of a partial response). The cumulative survival rate of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (n=18) was 7/18 (38.9%) and 4/18 (22.2%) at 12 and 24 months, respectively, with a median survival time of eight months. Most adverse events were mild (up to grade 2).

CONCLUSION

S-1 therapy is a useful, effective anticancer treatment for unresectable or distant metastatic head and neck cancer, with relatively mild side-effects, and can be administered while maintaining the quality of life of the patient.