Postoperative chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin is superior to radioimmunotherapy with cetuximab and radiotherapy alone

Abstract

Summary Background The addition of cisplatin or cetuximab to radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) has significantly improved the outcome. While the superiority of cisplatin over cetuximab in combination with radiotherapy has been shown in a definitive setting, we set out to compare postoperative chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin to radioimmunotherapy with cetuximab and radiotherapy alone within the Austrian head and neck cancer registry of the Working Group on Pharmaceutical Tumor Treatment (AGMT) study group. Material and methods In the AGMT head and neck cancer registry, data of 557 patients with SCCHN from five Austrian cancer centers were prospectively collected between 2012 and 2017. Of these patients 120 received postoperative chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin, 26 patients received postoperative radioimmunotherapy with cetuximab and 56 patients were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy only. Patient characteristics, stage of disease, details on treatment as well as survival were analyzed by a chart-based review. Results In patients treated with postoperative radiotherapy the addition of cisplatin significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to cetuximab (PFS 84.2 months vs. 17.0 months, p = 0.04, OS not reached vs. 46.0 months, p = 0.02) and PFS compared to radiotherapy alone (PFS 84.2 months vs. 28.5 months, p < 0.01). Patients treated with cetuximab were significantly older and had a worse performance score than patients receiving cisplatin or radiotherapy alone. Conclusion This study confirmed the importance of multimodal treatment concepts in patients with locally advanced SCCHN. Postoperative cetuximab might be an option in patients not eligible for high-dose cisplatin but cisplatin should remain the standard of care.

ITGA5 is an independent prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

“…Chemotherapy is one of the important treatments for patients with advanced LSCC, whereas the development of chemoresistance is rising and the efficacy of chemotherapy varies from person to person. 34 , 35 Hou et al reported that ITGA5 was associated with chemoresistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. 36 To evaluate the predictive value of ITGA5 in clinical treatment for LSCC, we calculated the sensitivity of four common chemotherapeutic drugs based on the pRRophetic algorithm.…”

A Comprehensive Review of Natural Products as Therapeutic or Chemopreventive Agents against Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells Using Preclinical Models

“…More than 90% of HNCs are head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), which account for approximately 300,000 deaths and 500,000 new cases worldwide annually [ 2 ]. In the United States, HNSCC has been diagnosed as one of the top 10 leading cancers in men in 2022 [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. The low survival rate of HNSCC has been proposed to be associated with cancer recurrence, distant metastases, the progression of second primary cancers, and resistance to chemo/radiotherapy [ 5 , 6 ], making it a public health issue that compromises patients’ quality of life.…”