Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24413895›Full record

ArticleStrahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al]2014

Concomitant chemoradiotherapy versus induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy as definitive, first line treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. A retrospective single center analysis.

P Balermpas, C Bauer, I Fraunholz, A Ottinger, J Wagenblast, T Stöver, O Seitz, E Fokas, C Rödel, C Weiss

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Strahlentherapie und Onkologie : Organ der Deutschen Rontgengesellschaft ... [et al], 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Observational
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

P BalermpasDepartment of Radiation Therapy and Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
C Bauer
I Fraunholz
A Ottinger
J Wagenblast
T Stöver
O Seitz
E Fokas
C Rödel
C Weiss

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeDespite the lack of evidence to support its implementation in the clinical practice, induction chemotherapy (IC) before chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is often used in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). We retrospectively examined the tolerability, feasibility, and clinical outcome of both concepts in a single center analysis. PATIENTS AND

methodsIn all, 83 patients were treated between 2007 and 2010 with IC + CRT (n = 42) or CRT alone (n = 41). IC consisted of docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TPF), or cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PF). All patients were scheduled to receive 2 cycles of PF during concurrent CRT. Adverse events were assessed according to the common toxicity criteria of adverse events (CTCAE v. 3.0). Associations were tested using the χ² test, and survival estimates were calculated according to Kaplan-Meier.

resultsThe median follow-up was 30.35 months (range 2.66-61.25 months). At 2 years, the overall survival rate was significantly higher for primary CRT compared to IC + CRT group (74.8 % vs. 54 %, respectively; p = 0.041). Significantly more treatment-related overall grade 4 toxicities were documented in the IC + CRT group compared to the CRT group (42.9% vs. 9.8%; p = 0.001). Renal toxicity ≥ grade 2 occurred in 52.4 % vs. 7.3 % (p < 0.001), respectively. In all, 93 % of the patients with primary CRT compared to 71 % with IC + CRT received the planned full radiotherapy dose (p = 0.012).

conclusionThis is, to our knowledge, the largest retrospective study to compare IC + CRT with primary CRT. IC showed high acute toxicity, compromised the feasibility of concurrent CRT, and was associated with reduced overall survival rates compared to primary CRT. The lack of clinical benefit in conjunction with the increased toxicity does not support implementation of IC.

Indexed as

ChemoradiotherapyChemoradiotherapy, AdjuvantInduction ChemotherapyAgedAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCarcinoma, Squamous CellCisplatinCombined Modality TherapyDocetaxelFeasibility StudiesFemaleFluorouracilHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateLymphatic MetastasisMaleCisplatinDocetaxelFluorouracilTaxoids

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.