ONCOmmunity

Efficacy and Safety of Induction Chemotherapy and/or External Beam Radiotherapy Followed by Brachytherapy in Patients With Tongue Cancer.

By: Ryo-Ichi Yoshimura, Kazuma Toda, Hiroshi Watanabe, Atsushi Kaida, Hiroyuki Harada, Takahiro Asakage, Masahiko Miura

Department of Radiation Therapeutics and Oncology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan; ysmrmrad@tmd.ac.jp.
2021-09-08; doi: 10.21873/anticanres.15446

Abstract

Background/aim

To evaluate the outcomes of induction chemotherapy and/or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) followed by brachytherapy (BT) in patients with tongue cancer who had a waiting period for BT or a large tumor that was not suitable for BT.

Patients

As an induction therapy, chemotherapy with tegafur/gimeracil/oteracil (S-1), EBRT or both S-1 chemotherapy and EBRT was prescribed. BT was performed using Au-198 grains or Ir-192 pins. Local control (LC), lymph node metastasis-free survival (LNMFS), overall survival (OS), and complication rates were calculated.

Results

Forty-nine patients were enrolled in this study. The 3-year LC, LNMFS, and OS rates for cT1-2 patients were 84%, 45%, and 69%, respectively. The 3-year LC, LNMFS, and OS rates for cT3 patients were 77%, 58%, and 79%, respectively. The incidence of Grade 3 or 4 complications was 6%.

Conclusion

Induction therapy contributed to the efficacy of the subsequent BT in LC rate.