Paclitaxel, carboplatin, and concomitant radiotherapy for resected patients with high risk head and neck cancer

Many resected patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer are found on pathological assessment to have high-risk features for recurrence. We thus performed a feasibility trial of post-operative radiotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin in high-risk carcinoma of the head and neck. All patients were planned for 6 cycles of weekly paclitaxel (40 mg/m²) and carboplatin (AUC=1) and concomitant radiotherapy, 60 Gy in 6 weeks. The most common side effect was grade 3 and 4 mucositis in 5/6 patients and g-tube placement in 4/6 patients. Five out of 6 patients remain alive without evidence of disease at a mean time of 19 months since completion of therapy. Our pilot study treated 6 postoperative patients. Since 4 of 6 enrolled patients were unable to complete the treatment as prescribed, we conclude that this regimen is not feasible. With an 83% grade 3 or 4 mucositis rate and 67% of patients enrolled requiring feeding tube placement, this regimen is not tolerable.