Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with weekly low-dose carboplatin for cisplatin-ineligible patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: survival analysis based on 2-year follow-up data.

Background: As a follow-up study to our prospective phase II trial of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with weekly low-dose carboplatin for cisplatin-ineligible patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), we assessed long-term survival (minimum follow-up of 2-year) and subgroup analysis by age and renal function.

Methods: A prospective phase II study on CCRT with weekly low-dose carboplatin for cisplatin-ineligible HNSCC in 30 patients who were aged (≥ 75-year-old patients with 40 mL/min estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] or better) or had renal dysfunction (< 75-year-old patients with 30-60 mL/min eGFR) was performed between July 2019 and January 2022 at three tertiary hospitals. Survival outcomes were investigated 2 years after this phase 2 trial were investigated. Furthermore, we compared the treatment outcome between ≥ 75 years group and < 75 years group.

Results: The median follow-up time was 41.5 months. The 2-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates of all patients were 70% and 86.7%, respectively. The 2-year RFS and OS of patients ≥ 75 years old was 92.3% and 100%, respectively, whereas those of patients < 75 years old was 52.9% (p = 0.175) and 76% (p = 0.157), respectively, showing no significant differences between the groups.

Conclusion: CCRT with weekly low-dose carboplatin in patients with cisplatin-ineligible HNSCC showed favorable survival outcomes irrespective of age and renal function. This study highlights a potentially promising treatment option for cisplatin-ineligible HNSCC patients.

Trial registration: jRCTs031190028.