Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy with Pirarubicin and 5-fluorouracil for Resectable Oral and Maxillary Carcinoma

Abstract

Objective We present the response rate and adverse effects of our regimen of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with pirarubicin (THP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for oral and maxillary carcinoma.

Patients and methods Fifteen patients with oral (10 cases) or maxillary (5 cases) squamous cell carcinoma who underwent our concurrent chemoradiotherapy with the combination of intraarterial pirarubicin, intravenous continuous 5-fluorouracil, and radiation between March 2001 and February 2003 in our department were entered in this study. THP (5 mg/day) was infused into the lingual or maxillary artery one hour before radiation on days 1–5 and 8–12, while intravenous 5-FU (150 mg/m²/day) was instilled continuously on days 1–5, 8–12, 15–19, and 22–26 in accordance with the radiation schedule (2 Gy/day). Consequently, total doses of THP, 5-FU, and radiation were 50 mg, 3000 mg/m² and 40 Gy, respectively. After the treatment series, response rate and adverse effects were evaluated.

Results Response rate achieved 100% (12 cases exhibited a complete response and the remaining 3 a partial response). Notably, all 10 patients with oral carcinoma exhibited complete response. The main adverse effects were leucopenia (6/15) and mucositis (6/15), both of which were acceptable.

Conclusions This concurrent chemoradiotherapy is very useful for oral and maxillary carcinoma as a preoperative modality with remarkably high response rate and acceptable adverse events.

• adverse effect
• anthracyclin
• 5-FU
• chemotherapy
• radiotherapy
• response rate
• THP

Iguchi H, Kusuki M, Nakamura A, Nishiura H, Kanazawa A, Takayama M, Sunami K, Yamane H. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with pirarubicin and 5-fluorouracil for resectable oral and maxillary carcinoma. Acta Otolaryngol 2004; Suppl 554: 000–000.

Iguchi H, Kusuki M, Nakamura A, Nishiura H, Kanazawa A, Takayama M, Sunami K, Yamane H. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with pirarubicin and 5-fluorouracil for resectable oral and maxillary carcinoma. Acta Otolaryngol 2004; Suppl 554: 000–000.