280P - Safety and efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancers in younger versus older patients: Post hoc analysis of a randomized control trial

Background

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a well-known malignancy in the older population. However, there is scarcity of data on the effect of chemoradiation on them. We did a posthoc analysis of a randomized study conducted at our institution to understand this effect.

Methods

We did a posthoc analysis of the study where the patients received chemoradiation. The database of this study was used for the present analysis. We evaluated the differences in demography, grade 3 or worse adverse events, compliance of treatment, loco-regional control (LRC), progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between older (≥ 60 years) and the younger patients.

Results

Out of 300 patients, 283 (94.3%) comprised the younger cohort (age < 60 years) while the older cohort included 17 (5.7%) patients. There was no difference in the occurrence of severe (grade 3/4) toxicities in the older cohort when compared to the younger patients. At a median follow up period of 22 months (range, 3-51), the cumulative LRC at 2 years was 67.1% and 100% in younger and the older group respectively (P = 0.018). The estimated median PFS in younger patients was 24.4 months (95% CI, 12.5 to 36.3), while it was not reached in the older group (P = 0.53). The estimated median OS was 41.3 months in the younger and not reached in the older group (P = 0.613).

Conclusions

Older patients with locally advanced HNSCC who received radical concurrent cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy showed significantly better LRC. Older patients experienced similar adverse events as compared to the younger ones.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.