Docetaxel plus cisplatin plus fluorouracil versus carboplatin plus fluorouracil-cetuximab in first-line setting in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer who did not previously receive neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, which is standard?

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is very poor. In the present retrospective study, we compared the impact of docetaxel plus cisplatin plus fluorouracil (TCF), and cisplatin plus fluorouracil plus cetuximab (CF-Ctx) regimens on the prognosis of patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC in first-line.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 70 patients were evaluated as two groups, according to treatment protocol: TCF (n: 47) and CF-Ctx (n: 23). The groups were compared regarding survival.

RESULTS: The median progression-free survival was 7.3 and 8.3 months, TCF and CF-Ctx groups, respectively, (P = 0.280). The median overall survival (OS) was 15.6 and 9.3 months for TCF and CF-Ctx groups, respectively, (P = 0.029). The dose reduction and using of granulocyte colony stimulating factor were significantly higher in TCF group (P = 0.048 and P = 0.018, respectively).

CONCLUSION: In first-line setting, TCF regimen is superior to CF-Ctx regimen in terms of OS in patients with recurrent or metastatic HNSCC, who did not previously receive neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy.