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Preoperative chemotherapy in advanced resectable head and neck cancer: Final report of the southwest oncology group
Author(s) -
Schuller David E.,
Stem David W.,
Metch Barbara,
Mattox Douglas,
Mccracken Joseph D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-198811000-00011
Subject(s) - medicine , chemotherapy , radiation therapy , stage (stratigraphy) , head and neck cancer , induction chemotherapy , randomized controlled trial , oncology , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , surgery , head and neck , paleontology , biology
In 1980, the Southwest Oncology Group instituted a multi‐institutional, prospective, randomized phase III trial to evaluate whether inductive chemotherapy improved survival in patients with advanced stage resectable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. From a group of 158 eligible patients, 76 were randomized to conventional treatment (surgery and postoperative radiotherapy), and 82 were assigned to experimental treatment (induction chemotherapy, surgery, postoperative radiotherapy). Median follow‐up for living patients was approximately 5 years. These analyses include chemotherapy responses and toxicities, surgical complications, radiotherapy toxicities, patient compliance, survival time, and patterns of treatment failure. Overall chemotherapy response was 0.70 (0.19 CR, 0.51 PR). The median survival time for conventional treatment was longer than the time for patients receiving preoperative chemotherapy, although the survival time differences were not statistically significant. This final analysis demonstrates no benefit in survival using preoperative chemotherapy for advanced stage, resectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.