Efficacy of Definitive Radiotherapy for Base of Tongue Cancer Evaluated

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology, the efficacy of definitive radiotherapy for the treatment of patients with base of the tongue cancer in a private practice setting is similar to that already published in the literature.

For the study, researchers sought to retrospectively investigate the efficacy of definitive radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue in a private practice.

Researchers identified 48 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the base of the tongue who underwent definitive radiotherapy. All patients were followed for a median of 2.7 years, but living patients had a median follow-up of 4.9 years.

Two-thirds of patients received radiotherapy two times a day and the median overall duration of treatment was 45.5 days. Patients received a median total dose of 74.4 Gy. Comcomitant chemotherapy was given to 96% of patients and adjuvant chemotherapy was given to 58% of patients.

Results showed that at 5 years, those with T1 to T2 disease had a 91% local control rate, T3 had an 83% local control rate, and T4 had 12%. At 5 years, the overall survival rates for those with sate 1 to 2 disease were 67%, 56% for stage 3, 45% for stage 4A, and 33% for stage 4B.