[Results of simultaneous radio-polychemotherapy in advanced inoperable cancer of the head and neck].

Sixty untreated patients with advanced carcinoma of the head and neck (stages III = 11 and IV = 49) were treated simultaneously with three cycles of polychemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy consisted of cisplatinum (DDP) 60 mg/m2 after prehydration with saline and mannitol, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 350 mg/m2 and folinic acid (FA) 50 mg/m2 on day 2 as a bolus and a continuous infusion of 5-FU 350 mg/m2/24 h and folinic acid (FA) 100 mg/m2/24 h from day 2-5. Concomitantly, accelerated hyperfractionated radiation was administered from day 3-11. Two fractions per day with 1.8 Gy each were given, 13 fractions in 9 days. This cycle was repeated two times on day 22 and 44 with an interval without treatment from day 16-21 and 34-43. Total radiation dose was 70.2 Gy in 51 days. Acute toxicities (WHO grade II and III) consisted mainly of leucopenia (75%), thrombopenia (15%), weight loss (mean 5.8 +/- 3.7%) and mucositis (66%). Grade IV was never reached. Except for 3 patients, who died during treatment due to fatal tumor bleeding or carotid rupture, all were able to finish the treatment with reduction in chemotherapy in only 95% (DDP) and 98% (5-FU) with no changes in the radiation protocol. Evaluation of tumor response at 3 months after end of treatment showed 68% complete and 32% partial responses. 5 patients developed distant metastases. Survival with local control after 12 months was 80.8% and 71.3% after 24 months. 1 and 2 years disease-free survival was 70.8% and 62.1%. Total survival irrespective of cause of death was 77.9% and 57.2% after 1 and 2 years. This particular simultaneous radio-polychemotherapy protocol appears to be well tolerable and highly effective in terms of tumor control and survival of advanced stages of head and neck cancer.