Results of treatment intensification for progressive locoregional disease in head-and-neck cancer patients undergoing postoperative radiotherapy

Purpose: Patients who develop progressive locoregional disease during radical surgery and postoperative radiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck represent a management dilemma. We present our experience using treatment intensification for such patients. Methods and materials: A prospective record of eligible patients was kept between May 1998 and December 2001. The study included 15 patients, 11 men and 4 women (median age, 60 years); 67% had Stage III-IV disease. The sites of progression were primary in 3, nodes/scar in 10, and both primary and nodes in 2. Relative to the initial plan, treatment intensification was achieved by an increased radiation dose in 7 (using accelerated fractionation in 5), an increased radiation dose and the addition of concomitant chemotherapy in 7, and the addition of concomitant chemotherapy alone in 1 patient. Results: The median follow-up was 40 months. Eight patients had a complete response to intensified treatment. At the closeout date, 6 patients were alive with no evidence of disease. Eight patients had died with locoregional disease; two also had distant metastases. One patient was lost to follow-up after achieving a complete response. The median failure-free survival for all patients was 6 months, but for those with a complete response, it was 37 months. The median overall survival time was 28 months. The 2-year and 3-year overall survival rate was 50% and 42%, respectively. Acute mucosal and skin toxicity was increased relative to standard postoperative radiotherapy but was not dissimilar to that expected after radical definitive chemoradiotherapy. Conclusion: Intensification of treatment in patients who develop progressive locoregional disease is warranted, because it can lead to long-term disease control in a subset of patients with significant but acceptable toxicity