Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34253248›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2021

Weekly chemotherapy as first line treatment in frail head and neck cancer patients in the immunotherapy era.

Andrea Botticelli, Giulia Pomati, Alessio Cirillo, Giulia Mammone, Fabio Ciurluini, Bruna Cerbelli, Paolo Sciattella, Massimo Ralli, Umberto Romeo, Francesca De Felice and 15 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. 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

25 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Andrea Botticelli *Department of Clinical and Molecular Oncology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Giulia Pomati *Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Alessio CirilloDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy. alessio.cirillo@uniroma1.it.
Giulia MammoneDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Fabio CiurluiniDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Bruna CerbelliDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Paolo SciattellaDepartment of Statistical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy.
Massimo RalliOdontostomatological and Maxillo-Facial Science, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Umberto RomeoOdontostomatological and Maxillo-Facial Science, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Francesca De FeliceDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Carlo CatalanoDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Francesco VulloDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Marco Della MonacaOdontostomatological and Maxillo-Facial Science, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Sasan AmirhassankhaniMSc Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Westminster Bridge Rd, Bishop's, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
Silverio TomaoDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Valentino ValentiniOdontostomatological and Maxillo-Facial Science, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Marco De VincentiisOdontostomatological and Maxillo-Facial Science, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Vincenzo TomboliniDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Carlo Della RoccaDepartment of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, Sapienza University, Polo Pontino, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Antonella PolimeniOdontostomatological and Maxillo-Facial Science, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Cira di GioiaDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Alessandro CorsiDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Giulia D'AmatiDepartment of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Silvia Mezi *Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Paolo Marchetti *Department of Clinical and Molecular Oncology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.
Sapienza University of Rome · ITGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveFirst-line therapy for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M HNSCC) has been revolutionized by the introduction of anti-checkpoint monoclonal antibodies, which have shown a significant improvement in overall survival (OS) gaining approval in a first line setting. Efficacy and safety of first-line weekly chemotherapy, compared to 3-weeks treatment, was retrospectively evaluated in a frail patient population with R/M HNSCC with the aim to evaluate its role as part of a personalized first-line approach.

methodsA total of 124 patients with locally incurable R/M HNSCC receiving weekly (21) or three-weekly (103) chemotherapy plus cetuximab in a first line setting from December 2010 to September 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment outcomes in terms of objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and toxicities were analysed.

resultsPatients in the three-week subgroup were ECOG PS 0 (39) and 1 (64) while patients in weekly group (21) were all PS 2. No significant differences were reported in terms of age, sex, smoking and previous alcohol abuse considering the two distinct subgroups. Moreover, no statistically significant difference was found in PFS and OS between the two treatment subgroups. The response rate was 35% (36 patients) and 34% (7 patients) in three-week and weekly treatment group, respectively. Seventy patients (68%) in the three-week group experienced chemotherapy-related toxicities, predominantly G3. In the weekly group a predominantly low-grade toxicity was found in a lower number of patients (52%).

conclusionThe weekly schedule appears to be an active and safe strategy in frail patients with R/M HNSCC. Based on these data, a weekly schedule could be considered as a first line treatment in all frail patients excluded from pembrolizumab treatment and a study on the combination of weekly chemotherapy and immunotherapy should be performed.

Indexed as

Frail ElderlyHead and Neck NeoplasmsAgedAntineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy ProtocolsCetuximabHumansImmunotherapyNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalRetrospective StudiesCetuximabCetuximabChemotherapyDocetaxelFirst lineFrail patient populationHead and neck cancer

Identifiers

PMID34253248
PMCPMC8274020
OpenAlexW3171736207

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.