CONCLUSION: Grade ≥ 3 mucositis/stomatitis and inability to feed orally were problematic for patients undergoing cetuximab-based bioradiotherapy (BRT) as well as platinum-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Severe mucositis/stomatitis and radiation dermatitis should be addressed carefully in patients undergoing cetuximab-based BRT as well. OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of cetuximab-based BRT in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas has been established. However, the safety of cetuximab-based BRT in comparison with platinum-based CRT is currently under investigation. METHOD: This study retrospectively analyzed 14 patients undergoing cetuximab-based BRT and 29 patients undergoing platinum-based CRT to compare the incidence of acute toxicities. In the BRT group, an initial cetuximab loading dose of 400 mg/m(2) was delivered 1 week before the start of radiotherapy. Seven weekly infusions of 250 mg/m(2) of cetuximab followed during the definitive radiotherapy. In the CRT group, cisplatin was administered at a dose of 40 mg/m(2) weekly during the definitive radiotherapy. RESULTS: The BRT group had a higher incidence of Grade ≥ 3 radiation dermatitis than did the CRT group (43% vs 3%, respectively, p < 0.01). The incidence rate of Grade ≥ 3 mucositis/stomatitis was 64.3% and 41.4% in the BRT and CRT group, respectively (p = 0.1484), while the incidence rate of the inability to feed orally was 38.5% and 55.2%, respectively (p = 0.2053).
CONCLUSION: Grade ≥ 3 mucositis/stomatitis and inability to feed orally were problematic for patients undergoing cetuximab-based bioradiotherapy (BRT) as well as platinum-based chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Severe mucositis/stomatitis and radiation dermatitis should be addressed carefully in patients undergoing cetuximab-based BRT as well. OBJECTIVES: The efficacy of cetuximab-based BRT in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas has been established. However, the safety of cetuximab-based BRT in comparison with platinum-based CRT is currently under investigation. METHOD: This study retrospectively analyzed 14 patients undergoing cetuximab-based BRT and 29 patients undergoing platinum-based CRT to compare the incidence of acute toxicities. In the BRT group, an initial cetuximab loading dose of 400 mg/m(2) was delivered 1 week before the start of radiotherapy. Seven weekly infusions of 250 mg/m(2) of cetuximab followed during the definitive radiotherapy. In the CRT group, cisplatin was administered at a dose of 40 mg/m(2) weekly during the definitive radiotherapy. RESULTS: The BRT group had a higher incidence of Grade ≥ 3 radiation dermatitis than did the CRT group (43% vs 3%, respectively, p < 0.01). The incidence rate of Grade ≥ 3 mucositis/stomatitis was 64.3% and 41.4% in the BRT and CRT group, respectively (p = 0.1484), while the incidence rate of the inability to feed orally was 38.5% and 55.2%, respectively (p = 0.2053).
Authors: James A Bonner; Jordi Giralt; Paul M Harari; Jose Baselga; Sharon Spencer; Diana Bell; David Raben; Joyce Liu; Jeltje Schulten; Kian K Ang; David I Rosenthal Journal: Eur J Cancer Date: 2016-06-17 Impact factor: 9.162