The CancerWeb Report, What's New In Cancer: February, 1997
Head and Neck Cancer

• Re-irradiation better than chemotherapy for inoperable head and neck cancer - Advanced inoperable head and neck cancer, in contrast to early stage disease, has a poor cure rate. The results of chemotherapy, usually with single-agent methotrexate, are extremely unsatisfactory with survival only around 6 months on average. Researchers at the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center, in an article published in the November, 1996 issue of Annals of Oncology, reported on the results of re-irradiation together with chemotherapy (hydroxyurea and 5-FU, and cisplatin in some). Overall survival, progression-free survival, and control of local disease at 5 years were 14.6%, 13.5% and 20%, respectively. Survival was best in those who received over 58 Gy. The study showed that intensive irradiation plus chemotherapy can produce some cures even among heavily pretreated patients. (Haraf, Ann Oncol 7:913, 1996)