Evaluation of superselective intraarterial chemotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer

Between January 2001 and August 2003, 15 patients (13 males, 2 females) with advanced head and neck cancer were treated by superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy with cisplatin and irradiation. Chemotherapy was performed through a catheter inserted into the feeding artery via the right forearm artery. The dose of cisplatin was 150 mg/m2 per infusion session. Irradiation was started on day 9. The complete and partial response rates were 46.7% (seven patients) and 40% (six patients), respectively. None of the patients experienced Grade 4 chemotoxicity such as hematological, renal dysfunction or gastrointestinal symptoms. Only one of nine patients who underwent neck dessection demonstrated residual cancer cells in the neck lymph nodes on pathological examination. One of six patients who underwent radical surgery for the primary tumor showed Grade IV on Oboshi's pathological criteria. The other four patients were classified in Grade IIB. The remaining one patient was Grade IIA. (author)