TREATMENT OF ADVANCED HEAD AND NECK-CANCER BY MEANS OF RADIATION-THERAPY PLUS CHEMOTHERAPY - RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Fifty‐eight patients with advanced head and neck cancer were entered into a randomised trial comparing radical radiation therapy to the primary tumour and associated lymph node areas with a combination of radiation therapy plus chemotherapy. The distribution of tumour types and stages was similar in the two treatment groups. The response rates to radiation therapy alone (50% complete plus partial response) and to radiation therapy plus chemotherapy (60% complete plus partial response) were not significantly different. However, a significant difference in survival was found between the two groups. The median duration of survival for the patients treated by means of radiation therapy alone was 18 weeks; that for the combined therapy was 36 weeks. The combination of radical radiation therapy plus intermittent high‐dose chemotherapy was well tolerated and appears to be an approach that warrants further trial. Copyright © 1979 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company