Effect of hypoxic cell sensitizer in radiation therapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

At the Radiation and Isotopes Centre, Khartoum, (RICK) 171 cases of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) were randomised for radiation therapy with or without the radiosensitizer Metronidazole (MET) into four treatment cases as follows: A. Patients: 36; Radiation: 50Gy/L8F/6w; MET: 5-8g dose X6-9/6w; B. Patients: 41; Radiation: 55Gy/30F/6w; MET: 5-8 dose X6-9/6w; C. Patients: 44; Radiation: 50Gy/18F/6w; MET: Not given; D. Patients: 44; Radiation: 55Gy/30F/6w; MET: Not given. Moderately severe but acceptable gastro-intestinal and oropharyngeal mucosal reactions were prominent in cases A and B receiving MET as radiosensitizer than in cases C and D not receiving MET. On the other hand a therapeutic gain has been observed both in the two year survival and in the disease free survival in the treatment given MET in associations with 3F/W regimen with 277 cGy/F, whereas no benefit could be shown in the cases receiving 5F/W regimen with 183 cGy/F. 6 refs, 2 figs, 6 tabs