Oral metronomic scheduling of anticancer therapy-based treatment compared to existing standard of care in locally advanced oral squamous cell cancers: A matched-pair analysis.

CONTEXT

Head and neck cancers in developing countries present with advanced disease, compounded by poor access to tertiary care centers.

AIM

We evaluated oral metronomic scheduling of anticancer therapy (MSAT) in advanced operable oral cancers, in conjunction with standard therapy.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN

This was a retrospective matched-pair analysis carried out in a tertiary referral cancer center.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Advanced operable oral cancer patients having a waiting period for surgery > 3 weeks were administered MSAT. Patients then underwent standard therapy (surgery +/- adjuvant radiation/chemoradiation) as warranted by the disease, followed by MSAT maintenance therapy. Outcomes of the MSAT group were compared with stage-matched controls with similar waiting periods.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Survivals were found using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared between groups using the log rank test.

RESULTS

Response was seen in 75% of 32 patients. Two-year disease-free survivals (DFS) in MSAT and control groups were 86.5 and 71.6%, respectively. Two-year DFS in MSAT group who received at least three months of MSAT was 94.6% (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Oral MSAT is an economical, effective, and safe adjuvant therapy for oral cancers. It has the potential for preventing progression of the disease and improving DFS.