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Purpose Death from noncancer causes (competing mortality) is an important event in head and neck cancer, but studies identifying predictors of this event are lacking. We sought to identify predictors of competing mortality and develop a risk stratification model for competing events. Patients and Methods Cohort study of 479 patients with stage III to IV carcinoma of the head and neck diagnosed between August 1993 and November 2004. Patients were treated on consecutive prospective clinical trials involving organ-preserving chemoradiotherapy and surgery. We used multivariable competing risks regression models to analyze factors associated with the cumulative incidence of competing mortality, locoregional and distant failure, and second malignancies as first events. Results Median follow-up was 52 months median for survivors. The 5-year cumulative incidence of competing mortality was 19.6% (95% CI, 15.8 to 23.4). On multivariable analysis, competing mortality was associated with female sex (hazard ratio [HR], 1.72; 95% CI, 1.13 to 2.63), increasing age (HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.62), increasing Charlson Comorbidity Index (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.47), decreasing body mass index (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.84), and decreasing distance traveled to the treating center (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.98). Patients with zero, one, two, and ≥ three risk factors had 5-year competing mortality of 8.9% (95% CI, 3.0% to 14.8%), 12.4% (95% CI, 7.0% to 17.8%), 22.1% (95% CI, 14.5% to 29.7%), and 39.3% (95% CI, 28.6% to 50.1%), respectively. Conclusion Competing mortality in advanced head and neck cancer is associated with several demographic and health status characteristics. Analyses of risk factors for competing mortality may be useful in outcomes reporting and designing clinical trials.

Purpose Patients with intermediate-stage squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck traditionally have been treated with initial surgical resection followed by radiotherapy (RT) alone or chemoradiotherapy. A previous study in this patient population reported a 91% locoregional control rate and 65% overall survival (OS) rate at 5 years, with chemoradiotherapy used as primary treatment. This study was undertaken to assess whether shortening treatment duration with hyperfractionated RT would be feasible and improve locoregional control, organ preservation, and progression-free survival. Methods Eligible patients with stage II or III disease received fluorouracil, hydroxyurea, and RT given twice daily on a week-on/week-off schedule. Quality-of-life scores were measured using three validated indexes. Results All 53 patients enrolled are included in the analysis, with a median follow-up of 42 months (range, 5 to 98 months). Grade 3 or 4 in-field mucositis was observed in 77% and 9%, respectively. No patients required surgical salvage at the primary tumor site (pathological complete response rate, 100%). The 3-year progression-free and OS rates are 67% and 78%, respectively. The 3-year disease-specific mortality rate is 7%. At the time of analysis, 87% of surviving patients do not require enteral feeding support. Quality-of-life and performance assessment indicated that, although acute treatment toxicities were severe, most patients returned to pretreatment function by 12 months. Conclusion Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with hyperfractionated RT is feasible in this patient population and yields high local control and cure rates. Compared with our historical control using once-daily fractionation, hyperfractionation is accompanied by increased acute in-field toxicity.

PURPOSE: To achieve locoregional control of head and neck cancer, survival, and organ preservation using intensive concomitant chemoradiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was a phase II trial of chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin 100 mg/m2 every 28 days, infusional fluorouracil 800 mg/m2/d for 5 days, hydroxyurea 1 g orally every 12 hours for 11 doses, and radiotherapy twice daily at 1.5 Gy/fraction on days 1 through 5 (total dose, 15 Gy). Five days of treatment were followed by 9 days of rest, during which time patients received granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Five cycles (three with cisplatin) were administered over 10 weeks (total radiotherapy dose, ≤ 75 Gy). Adjuvant chemoprevention with retinoic acid and interferon alfa-2A was offered. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients were treated (stage IV, 93%; N2, 54%; N3, 21%). At a median follow-up of 38 months, the 3-year progression-free survival is 72%, locoregional control 92%, systemic control 83%, and overall survival 55%. Toxicities included mucositis (grade 3, 45%; grade 4, 12%), neutropenia (grade 4, 39%), and thrombocytopenia (grade 4, 53%). Surgery at the primary site was performed in 13 patients, and 39 had neck dissection. A majority of patients declined adjuvant chemoprevention. Pharmacokinetic parameters were not prognostic of tumor control. Quality of life declined during treatment but returned from good to excellent by 12 months after treatment. CONCLUSION: Intensive concomitant chemoradiotherapy leads to high locoregional control and survival rates with organ preservation and a reversal of the historical pattern of failure (distant > locoregional). Surgery after concomitant chemoradiotherapy is feasible. Compliance with adjuvant chemoprevention is poor. Identification of less toxic regimens and improved distant disease control emerge as important future research goals.

PURPOSE To determine survival rates and the pattern of failure in head and neck cancer patients treated with induction chemotherapy, limited surgery and concomitant chemoradiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Three cycles of induction chemotherapy with cisplatin, fluorouracil (5-FU), leucovorin, and interferon alfa-2b (PFL-IFN) were followed by optional surgery, and seven or eight cycles of 5-FU, hydroxyurea, and concurrent radiation for 5 days (FHX) for a total radiation dose of 65 to 75 Gy. Surgical resection was performed with the intent to spare organ function. RESULTS Seventy-one patients were treated at three institutions. Sixty-five patients (91%) had stage IV disease with N2/3 in 46. Thirty-three patients (51%; 95% confidence interval, 39% to 63%) achieved a clinical complete response (CR) to PFL-IFN. Local therapy consisted of surgery in 37 and/or FHX in 55 patients. With a median follow-up duration of 37 months, there have been 20 recurrences (15 local, four distant, and one both local and distant), and 29 deaths, 15 in patients with disease progression and 14 not directly related to the primary tumor. Four patients have developed second malignancies. At 3 years, 69% (+/- 6%) are progression-free and the overall survival rate is 60% (+/- 6%). Toxicity of PFL-IFN included severe or life-threatening mucositis (54%) and myelosuppression (60%). Five patients died of toxicity. During FHX, 70% of patients had grade 3 or 4 mucositis. CONCLUSION PFL-IFN is highly active, producing clinical CRs in 51% of patients, and, when followed by FHX, resulting in high local and distant control and overall survival rates. Second malignancies and intercurrent medical disease emerge as major risks to long-term survival. In view of the high toxicity and long treatment duration, further modifications of this approach are required.

e18523 Background: Lymphomatoid Papulosis (LYP) is a primary cutaneous CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder and a radiosensitive tumor. Treatment with radiation is typically given in multiple fractions for patients presenting with symptomatic unilesional or multilesional disease. However, a single fraction of radiation is more convenient to the patient. The purpose of this retrospective review was to evaluate the clinical response to a single fraction of radiation for palliation of symptomatic LYP lesions. Methods: The records of 8 (5 female, 3 male) patients with LYP, treated with a single or multi-fractionated palliative radiation therapy between 10/2001 and 9/2011, were reviewed. All patients had received multiple previous treatments such as chemotherapy, PUVA, topical nitrogen mustard, and UVB. A total of 19 sites with disease were given the following single doses: 700 (n=3) and 800 (n=16). In the earlier years, a total of 6 sites with disease were given 250 cGy in 18 fractions for a total dose of 4500 cGy. Radiation therapy was administered with electrons to 20 sites and with photons to 5. A bolus was used in most cases to increase the radiation dosage to the skin. Results: Minimum and median follow-up were 1 and 43 months (range, 1 - 120), respectively. Median age of the patients was 65 (range, 24 - 83). For disease sites receiving a single fraction therapy, a complete response (CR) was seen in 17 of the 19 sites (89.5%), and a partial response (PR) was seen in an additional 2 of the 19 sites (10.5%). Therefore, the overall response rate was 100%. For the disease sites receiving multi-fractionated therapy, a CR was seen in 6 of the 6 sites (100%). Evaluation of patient characteristics and treatment did not reveal any differences between patients achieving a CR or PR. Conclusions: For previously treated, radiation-naıve LYP lesions, palliative radiation therapy with single fractions of 700 - 800 cGy is associated with an excellent CR and is a convenient and cost effective strategy.

5500 Background: IC is associated with lower distant failure (DF) rates in SCCHN but an improvement in overall survival (OS) has not been validated. The goal of this trial was to determine whether IC prior to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) improves survival compared to CRT alone. Methods: In this phase 3, open-label trial, subjects with pathologically confirmed SCCHN; N2/N3 disease without metastases; no prior therapy; KPS ³ 70%; and intact organ function were randomized to CRT alone (CRT arm) [5 days of D (25 mg/m2), F (600 mg/m2), hydroxyurea (500 mg BID), and RT (150 cGy BID) followed by a 9 day break] or to 2 cycles of IC [D (75 mg/m2), P (75 mg/m2), F (750 mg/m2 day 1-5)] followed by the same CRT (IC arm). Primary endpoint was OS. Secondary endpoints included DF free survival, failure pattern, and recurrence-free survival (RFS). 280 subjects provided 80% power to detect a hazard ratio HR=0.5 for OS (a=0.05). Results: 280 subjects were accrued from 2004-09 with minimum follow-up 24 months. Of 142 patients randomized to IC, 91% received 2 cycles and 87% continued to CRT. Treatment adherence during CRT was high for docetaxel and hydroxyurea, but fewer than 75% of the patients received target dose of 5FU in both arms. RT was delivered without major deviations in 94% and 95% of patients on IC and CRT arms, respectively. The most common grade 3-4 toxicities during IC were febrile neutropenia (9%) and mucositis (8%), and during CRT (both arms combined) they were mucositis (45%), dermatitis (19%), and leukopenia (17%). Only grade 3-4 leukopenia and neutropenia rates were significantly higher in IC (p=0.002 and p=0.02, respectively). Table shows efficacy. Conclusions: High survival rates were observed in both arms. Further analysis and follow-up may provide insight into why the significant decrease in DF did not translate into improved OS. [Table: see text]

5528 Background: CTX constitutes a standard for locoregionally advanced HNC. IndCT may decrease distant failure rates (Brockstein Ann Oncol, 2003). The combination of these approaches has resulted in favorable early survival outcomes. CTX is limited by acute mucositis and long-term functional impairment. We examined the feasibility of lowering radiotherapy doses in sequential groups of patients (pts) to maintain high antitumor activity while decreasing toxicities. Methods: This was a 3-part, nonrandomized, phase II trial. Pts with stage IV (M0) HNC received 8 weeks of IndCT with carboplatin and paclitaxel (groups A & B ); carboplatin, AUC 2, and paclitaxel 135 mg/m2 weekly x 6; group C carboplatin AUC 6 day 1, and paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 days 1, 8, and 15 with cycle 2 beginning day 28. All pts received alternating week CTX with paclitaxel, infusional fluorouracil, oral hydroxyurea, and twice daily radiotherapy (T-FHX) (Kies JCO 2001). Radiotherapy to gross disease, high risk, and low risk microscopic disease consisted of group A (n = 68): 75, 60, 45 Gy; group B (n = 64): 75, 54, 39 Gy; group C (n = 90): 72, 51, 36 Gy. We have previously reported outcome data on groups A & B (Vokes JCO 2002 & Haraf CCR 2003). Results: A total of 222 pts were treated between 11/1998 and 2/2001. 74% were male, median age was 57. Best overall response (groups A/B/C): CR: 83/93/68%. With median follow-up time of 64/53/39 months; 3-year overall survival is 72%/67%/67% (logrank p = 0.76), progression-free survival 72%/65%/59% (logrank p = 0.44), time to progression (TTP, in which deaths prior to progression are censored unless due to treatment-related toxicity) 82%/86%/67% (logrank p = 0.019), and local control92%/97%/86% (logrank p = 0.10). Acute toxicities during concurrent chemoradiotherapy included grade 3/4 mucositis 72/2%; 65/11%; 57/8%; and dermatitis 47/15%; 19/26%; 28/2%. Conclusions: This 3-stage study suggests that acute toxicity can be reduced and high overall survival rates maintained while reducing doses of radiotherapy. The lower 3 year TTP rate in cohort C suggests a dose-response curve in the CTX setting. Schedule B may represent the best therapeutic index. Functional outcomes data are presented separately. [Table: see text]

5510 Background: Sixty-nine patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer enrolled in a Phase I study of aggressive chemoradiotherapy with concurrent gemcitabine (dose-escalated from 50–300 mg/m2), paclitaxel (100 mg/m2) and 5-fluorouracil (600 mg/m2/d for 5 days) in conjunction with twice daily radiation (1.5 Gy) delivered on an alternating week schedule (TGFX). Here we report the clinical outcome and late toxicity of TGFX in a subset of patients previously irradiated to the head and neck. Methods: Twenty-nine previously irradiated patients presenting with recurrent or second primary head and neck cancer were treated with TGFX. Twelve patients underwent attempted surgical resection prior to chemoradiotherapy, of which 10 were left with no measurable disease. Patients with measurable disease were treated to a median dose of 72 Gy, while those with no measurable disease were treated to a median dose of 61 Gy. The cumulative radiation dose ranged from 74.4 to 156.4 Gy with a mean and median of 125.7 G...