e16013 Background: Nimotuzumab with chemoradiation is found to be efficacious and safe in treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (LASCCHN). We did retrospective analysis of head and neck cancer patients at single center treated with this combination from December 2006 to December 2010.
METHODS
Sixteen patients of SCCHN from stage I to IVa who either were not willing or ineligible for surgical resection, analyzed. Treatment included Cisplatin in dose of (40 mg/m2) once weekly for six weeks; Radiotherapy was used in dose of 60-66 Gy either by conventional radiotherapy or IMRT. Nimotuzumab was used as 200mg Intravenous infusion for 60 minutes, once in a week for 6 weeks.
RESULTS
There were 9 male and 7 female patients, (median age, 54 years; range, 29 to 74 years; with ECOG status of 0-1; oropharynx - 11, larynx - 4, hypopharynx - 1, with 2, 5, 3, 6 patients in stages I to IV respectively). All patients completed 6 cycles of treatment with nimotuzumab. The disease control rate at 24 weeks post treatment was 81% with 12 patients in CR, 1 patient in SD, while 3 patients showed progressive disease during second, third, and fifth month of follow up. The overall survival for all patients ranged from 10 months to 33 months till December 2010. There was no grade III or IV adverse event related to nimotuzumab and it was well tolerated.
CONCLUSIONS
This retrospective analysis supports that nimotuzumab with chemoradiation is an effective and safe treatment for head and neck cancer patients that can lead to long term survival benefits. Large clinical trials are underway to further validate these findings.