Abstract 457P
Background
Head and neck cancers are malignant tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract including the oral cavity, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx. Squamous cell carcinoma constitutes for >90% of HNCs. The study was conducted with an aim to assess multiple clinic-pathological factors associated with outcome in Head & Neck Cancer patients. As Induction Chemotherapy is considered to be an integral part of head and neck cancer management, this study focuses on induction chemotherapy and its association with survival outcomes.
Methods
The records of head and neck cancer patients who received definitive/adjuvant Radiotherapy in our Department from 2018 to 2020 were compiled and various factors associated with outcome were assessed. Effect of induction chemotherapy on survival outcome in various subsites was assessed using Kaplan Meier Curve and Log Rank Test.
Results
Total 130 patients with proper records were analysed. Mean age of presentation was 52 years, Male predominant, 85 patients were oral cavity, 15 were pharyngeal subsites, 20 were laryngeal subsite, 15 with Stage I, 20 with stage II, 19 with stage III, 74 with stage IVA, 2 with stage IVB. Out of 130 patients, 36 received NACT, out of which 25 received Doublet while 11 received triplet chemotherapy. Survival Analysis of patients with operable oral cavity cancer who received NACT or who underwent upfront surgery was done using Kaplan Meier analysis and Median OS was 25 months in NACT arm vs 14.9 months in non-NACT arm (p=0.01). In Pharyngeal tumors who got treated wither Radical RT alone or CTRT, Median OS in RT alone arm was 13 months, 14 months in CTRT arm while 17 months in NACT f/b CTRT arm. (p=0.07). Overall, In all HNC subsites, median OS was 17 months in NACT arm vs 20 months in non-NACT arm (p=0.76).
Conclusions
In country like India where Head and Neck Cancers are quite common and mostly present in locally advanced stage, Induction Chemotherapy seems to be a valid option helping in downstaging of the disease and filling the gap between patient presentation and its definitive management either surgery or Definitive Radiotherapy. However, its effect on survival outcome is still debatable which needs to be confirmed in further large-scale trials.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
The author.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
The author has declared no conflicts of interest.