Multimodality treatment for oropharyngeal tumors

The aim of this study was to analyze long-term follow-up results of a single institution's experience with a regimen of concomitant cisplatin/ftoruracil (5-FU) infusion, neutron brachytherapy (NBT) and radiation for patients with squamous cell oral and oropharygeal cancer. Two hundred thirty-seven patients were eligible for this report. After our treatment a complete tumor response was obtained in 190 (80.2 %), and partial response in 44 (18.6 %) patients. There was no severe long-term treatment-related toxicity. Recurrence of primary tumors was observed in 43 (18.1 %) patients and recurrence of regional lymph nodes metastases in 24 (10.1 %) patients. The 5-year overall survival was 64.5±3.3 % (Kaplan-Meier method) irrespectively of tumor site, stage and treatment method. Our results evidence for good efficacy and safety of 252Cf NBT, radiotherapy and CCT in head and neck cancer which is not associated with functional and cosmetics defects.