Chemo-radiation therapy treatment gives head-and-neck cancer a...( healthy parts of the body. The techniq...),Health

Moreover, using this intra-arterial route, the researchers can give the same amount of cisplatin chemotherapy over about three weeks that would ordinarily take about five to six months to deliver through the intravenous route-with fewer systemic side effects.

They also administer radiation therapy at the same time. Researchers have found that chemotherapy makes the cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation, and radiation boosts the overall success of the therapy.

Immediately after treatment, cancerous tumors visibly completely disappeared in 80 percent of patients.

Researchers followed the patients in the years after treatment, and after an average follow-up of 3.9 years, they estimated a four-year rate of local and regional tumor control of 55 percent (that is, tumors were not growing at the original site or the lymph nodes around it). They estimated a four-year overall survival rate of 49 percent. These results are even more encouraging considering that patients preserved their organ function, such as speech and swallowing, Kumar notes.

Severe side effects, which traditionally pose a significant quality-of-life issue for those with head-and-neck cancer, varied depending on the institution conducting the therapy. About 14 percent of patients at experienced institutions reported severe side effects compared to 51 percent of patients at inexperienced institutions, reflecting the importance of expertise. The National Cancer Institute funded the study through an RO1 grant; the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group provided biostatistical support.

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Contact: Jon Weiner
jon.weiner@usc.edu
323-442-2823
University of Southern California
16-May-2005