Induction chemotherapy with cis-platinum in head and neck cancer

Abstract

Sixty-four patients with head and neck carcinoma were treated with induction chemotherapy consisting of Cis-platinum (CDDP), Vincristine (VCR) and Peplomycin (PLM)(COP therapy). The complete response (CR) rate was 15.6% (10/64), the partial response (PR) rate was 46.9% (30/64), and the overall response rate (CR+PR) was 62.5% (40/64). Background factors, such as sex, primary site of carminoma performance status (P. S.), pathological characteristics and administered dose of CDDP were analyzed for the patient resposiveness to COP therapy. The CR rate was higher in females than in males. Regarding primary site, complete responders were found most often in cases with mesopharyngeal carcinoma. A high overall response rate was found in patients with better P. S. and in cases whose histology showed well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Lower CR rate was detected in cases where less thas 50mg/m² of CDDP was administered, but the overall response rate (CR+PR) was not affected by the dose of CDDP. The outcome of PR to COP therapy was found within thirty days of the onset of treatment. Initial response to this chemotherapy was detected earlier in CR cases than in PR cases (P<0.05). Survival rate for induction chemotherapy was greater in CR cases than in PR cases (P<0.001).