Concomitant radiation therapy and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) in patients with advanced head and neck cancer.

Three patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancer received concomitant radiation therapy (XRT) and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP). The dose of 6,000 rads was to be administered in two 3,000-rad courses separated by 3 weeks. The CDDP, 30 mg/m2, was to be given intravenously on days 2 and 12 of each half of XRT. We were especially concerned with the occurrence of an abscess in one patient and an abscess with hemorrhage in another. In addition, each patient experienced severe and intractable nausea, vomiting, and a pervasive feeling of ill-health which seemed out of proportion to that usually observed from either XRT or CDDP alone. If the findings in this pilot study are confirmed, the toxicity of XRT with concurrent CDDP as used in our study may well obviate routine clinical usage.