Treatment of advanced head and neck cancer with intra-arterial cisplatin and concurrent radiation therapy: the 'RADPLAT' protocol.

The prognosis for patients presenting with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using "standard" treatment approaches, such as surgery followed by radiotherapy or radiotherapy alone, remains poor. Additionally, patients often lose their voice or swallowing ability when a primary surgical approach is used. Although systemic chemotherapy, when combined concurrently with radiotherapy, appears to be superior to radiation alone, the use of neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic chemotherapy has not improved survival when combined with either surgery or radiotherapy. Even with the use of concurrent systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the majority of the patients still succumb to their disease, usually failing locoregionally. Among the newer strategies being explored is the use of supradose intra-arterial chemotherapy (ie, cisplatin) with current radiotherapy. Acronymed "RADPLAT," this novel therapeutic approach delivers supradoses of weekly cisplatin chemotherapy with concurrent radiotherapy with acceptable toxicity, high locoregional tumor control rates, and very promising survival results. In addition, the RADPLAT approach allows for the preservation of organ function. This article reviews the evolution of the RADPLAT concept from a phase I trial to a recently completed Radiation Therapy Oncology Group trial confirming its feasibility in a multi-institutional setting.