Elapsed radiation therapy treatment time as a predictor of survival in patients with advanced head and neck cancer who receive chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Abstract

The time between radiation therapy treatments is strongly predictive of survival in patients undergoing sequential chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The use of induction chemotherapy does not negate the need to avoid treatment interruptions during definitive radiation therapy.

Effect of radiotherapy delay in overall treatment time on local control and survival in head and neck cancer: Review of the literature

“…reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy x x x ( 2 0 1 5 ) xxx-xxx reports of practical oncology and radiotherapy x x x ( 2 0 1 5 ) xxx-xxx 5 LRC a : Try to maintain OTT k < 45-50 days [35,41]. In any case, avoid OTT k ≥60 days (LRC a and/or OS d ) [37,43] Delays ≥5 days must be avoided (LRC a and/or OS d ) [44,46,52] No prognostic significance: No. of consecutive treatment days missed [43] and gap position [44,52].…”

“…In adjuvant radiotherapy, may be significant early gaps in R0 l and late gaps in R1 m pts and total n • of gaps in both [52]. No adverse effect if break in the first 3 weeks [54] TCP n significantly correlated with OTT k and gap duration [49] Impossible to establish if weekends scored as gaps is important [49] Induction chemo not negate to avoid interruptions [46] OTT k protraction significantly affected LRC a only in G1-2 tumors [47], especially in laryngeal subgroup [50] (*) ↓ 12% preservation of voice in laryngeal cancer [50] Larynx…”

“…[43] Data from RTOG 83-13 (randomized Phase I-II trial, hyperfraction). [44] Data from multicenter prospective randomized clinical trials [15] Data from 2 randomized trials from the British Institute of Radiology fractionation study [23] Prospective non-randomized single-arm study [46] SEER c -Medicare linked database analysis [55] Pooled-data reports [8,9,27,45] a RT, radiotherapy b NS, non-significant. c SEER: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results.…”

Radiation Treatment Breaks and Ulcerative Mucositis in Head and Neck Cancer

“…Indirect evidence of the negative consequences of unplanned radiation treatment breaks comes from several studies of total radiation treatment time. Unintended prolongation of the total time of definitive radiotherapy is associated with worse locoregional control [14 -16, 18] and survival [12,17]. In the case of postoperative treatment of head and neck cancer, there can be significant delays in the "package time"-the time from surgery to completion of postoperative radiotherapy.…”

Treatment Adherence in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy: Challenges for Nursing

“…They concluded that adherence appeared to be related to improved overall survival and an increase in average survival time. Alden et al (1996) stressed the importance of avoiding treatment lapses for head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. They concluded that time between radiation treatments is ''strongly predictive of survival in patients undergoing sequential chemotherapy and radiation therapy'' (Alden et al,p.…”