A comparative study of treatment outcome in younger and older patients with locally advanced oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers treated by chemoradiation

• Main Authors: Rituparna Biswas, Anirban Halder, Anshuman Ghosh, Sajal Kumar Ghosh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2019-01-01
• Series: South Asian Journal of Cancer
• Subjects: Concurrent chemoradiation; disease-free survival; mucositis; oropharyngeal cancer; xerostomia
• Online Access: http://journal.sajc.org/article.asp?issn=2278-330X;year=2019;volume=8;issue=1;spage=47;epage=51;aulast=Biswas

Background: Evidence suggests that older patients with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers may behave differently from their younger peers. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine if there is difference in responses, survival, and toxicities between young patients (≤40 years of age) with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers and older patients (>40 years of age) treated with concurrent chemoradiation. Materials and Methods: Sixty-one patients with unresectable, locally advanced oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers received concomitant chemoradiation to a dose of 70 Gray in 35 fractions over 7 weeks with concomitant weekly cisplatin (40 mg/m2). These patients were then distributed in two arms. Arm-A patients having age ≤40 years and Arm-B patients having age >40 years, and the two arms were assessed for treatment outcome. Results: The overall response rate (complete responders + partial responders) evaluated using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors criteria version 1.1 was equivalent in both groups (80.76% in Arm-A and 74.28% in Arm-B; P = 0.93). Older patients (>40 years) experienced more acute mucositis and xerostomia (P < 0.5); although not statistically significant, more acute skin and pharynx toxicities were also observed in this group. Higher late salivary gland toxicity (P < 0.5) was also seen in older patients; however, disease-free survival and progression-free survival were found to be similar in both groups. Conclusions: Older patients with locally advanced oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers have similar response rates and survival as compared to their younger counterparts but may experience higher treatment-related toxicities.