Randomized double-blind trial of amifostine versus placebo for radiation-induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer.

Introduction: The role of the radioprotector amifostine in ameliorating radiotherapy side effects in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is controversial. This trial aimed to determine whether pretreatment with amifostine reduced the incidence of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade ≥2 acute and late xerostomia in patients receiving definitive or adjuvant radiotherapy for HNSCC, without reducing tumour control or survival.

Methods: Between 14 September 2001 and 8 November 2004, 44 Royal Adelaide Hospital patients were randomized double-blind to receive amifostine (200 mg/m IV) or placebo (normal saline IV) 5 days/week, prior to standard radiotherapy (60-70 Gy), each having ≥75% of the parotids treated to ≥40 Gy.

Parotid gland as an initial site of metastasis.

The parotid gland is an uncommon site of metastasis from carcinomas arising outside the head and neck region. Involvement of the parotid gland as an initial site of metastasis or presentation is rare. The present case report is the first, to our knowledge, to describe the management and outcome of an elderly man whose first presentation of an asymptomatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lung was that of a rapidly growing fungating left parotid mass.

Evidence for efficacy without increased toxicity of hypofractionated radiotherapy for prostate carcinoma: early results of a Phase III randomized trial.

Purpose: We performed a randomized trial to compare the GI and urogenital toxicity of radiotherapy (RT) for localized (confined to the organ), early-stage (T1-T2N0M0, TNM classification) carcinoma of the prostate, using a conventional (64 Gy in 32 fractions within 6.5 weeks) vs. a hypofractionated (55 Gy in 20 fractions within 4 weeks) schedule and to determine the efficacy of the respective treatment schedules.