Hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy versus conventional fractionation both combined with chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced head and neck carcinomas: a retrospective analysis of a monoinstitutional series.

Objective: Hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART) has been combined with chemotherapy (CC) for locally advanced head and neck cancer, but no data from randomized trials are available for a comparison with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT) and CC.

Methods: This monoinstitutional retrospective study compares the results of both treatment schedules: 315 patients with locally advanced carcinoma (UICC stage III and IV) of the oral cavity and the orohypopharynx were treated from January 1990 to March 2006 with a radiochemotherapy combination based on mitomycin C and fluorouracil (HART-CC: 203 patients, CFRT-CC: 112 patients, total dose: 70-72 Gy) with curative intent.

Results: Two- and 4-year survival was 60 and 42 (HART-CC) and 59 and 42% (CFRT-CC; p = 0.

Long-term in vivo effects of cisplatin on gamma-H2AX foci signaling in peripheral lymphocytes of tumor patients after irradiation.

Purpose: This study determined the effects of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) on radiation-induced foci formation of gamma-H2AX and Rad51 in lymphocytes.

Experimental Design: Twenty-eight cancer patients were irradiated for intrathoracic, pelvic, or head and neck tumors and received simultaneous cisplatin containing chemotherapy. The effect of cisplatin on radiation-induced gamma-H2AX and Rad51 foci as a response to ionizing radiation-induced DNA double-strand breaks was measured in lymphocytes after in vivo and in vitro radiochemotherapy.