Superselective intra-arterial infusion with docetaxel and concomitant radiotherapy were performed in 18 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Their average age was 60.9 years ranging from 28 to 83 years. Four had stage III disease and 14 had stage IV disease. Subsites were the tongue in 9 oral floor in 4 and others in 5. For primary tumors the response rate was 94.4% (CR16, PR1) and the complete response rate was 88.8%. For neck lymph node metastasis the initial complete response rate was 6.7% and the response rate was 73.3%. Toxicities included mucocitis (grade 3: 11.1%) and leukocytopenia (grades 3 and 4: 33.3%). The rate of organ preservation was 66.6%. The five-year survival rate was 59.2%. Based on the results for organ preservation superselective intra-arterial chemo-radiotherapy is effective.
