Publication details

Long-term remission of locally recurrent oropharyngeal cancer after docetaxel-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab

Authors

SZTURZ Petr SPECENIER Pol VAN LAER Carl VAN DEN WEYNGAERT Danielle CORTHOUTS Bob CARP Laurens VAN MARCK Eric VANDERVEKEN Olivier VERMORKEN Jan B.

Year of publication 2016
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology and Head & Neck
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Medicine

Citation
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00405-015-3673-y
Field Oncology and hematology
Keywords Tonsil cancer; Positron emission tomography; Taxanes; Targeted therapy; Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor
Description In recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma ineligible for resection or irradiation, treatment aims primarily at symptom control and quality of life enhancement with an expected outcome of 6-12 months. In 2005, a male patient, born in 1944, with a second local recurrence of human papillomavirus negative tonsil cancer was enrolled in the EXTREME trial, and randomized to platinum/5-fluorouracil/cetuximab arm resulting in partial remission with progression-free survival of 12 months. The second-line systemic therapy comprised 5 cycles of 3-weekly docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil regimen plus weekly cetuximab. As confirmed on imaging and repeated biopsies, complete response was achieved with disease-free survival of 8 years and follow-up period of 12 years. Severe acute toxicities during the taxane-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab included grade 4 anorexia and grade 3 febrile neutropenia. Poor tumor differentiation, no weight loss, oropharyngeal location, white race, and particularly the induced complete response were most likely the key favorable prognostic factors in the reported patient. The possibility of a synergistic interaction between taxanes and cetuximab should be further explored.

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