Induction chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy for larynx preservation in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer
Abstract
Background
To test the hypothesis that clinical tumor response after a single cycle of induction chemotherapy (ICT) can reliably differentiate between chemo-/radiosensitive and resistant tumors in the larynx preservation setting.
Patients and methods
Treatment consisted of docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (TPF) ICT followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) with weekly cisplatin. The response of the primary tumor was assessed by transnasal endoscopy after the first ICT cycle.
Results
37/39 (95%) patients with laryngeal (46%) or hypopharyngeal (54%) carcinoma responded to one cycle of ICT, and two patients were referred for salvage surgery. Laryngectomy-free survival at 2 and 5 years was 87% and 75%, respectively. The corresponding rates for locoregional control (and also for disease-free survival) were 79% and 70% and for overall survival 92% and 82%.
Conclusions
Clinical assessment of tumor response to one cycle of TPF ICT serves as a valid and easy-to-use predictor of tumor sensitivity to platinum-based cCRT.
© 2025 Primoz Strojan, Gaber Plavc, Robert Sifrer, Simona Jereb, Bostjan Lanisnik, Marko Kokalj, Ales Groselj, Cvetka Grasic Kuhar, published by Association of Radiology and Oncology
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.