Six-week induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiation therapy in stage IV head and neck cancer: a phase II study with organ-sparing purposes.

The purpose of the study was to assess response rate, clinical outcome, organ/function preservation and toxicity in head and neck cancer patients treated with induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy and, when necessary, limited surgery. The study was a phase II non-randomized trial. Induction chemotherapy consisted of 6 weekly doses of carboplatin at AUC of 2 and docetaxel 30 mg/m(2) (1 h) followed by 5 cycles of docetaxel 25 mg/m(2)/day 1, 5-FU 600 mg/m(2) c.

Reactive oxygen species, antioxidant mechanisms, and serum cytokine levels in cancer patients: impact of an antioxidant treatment.

Objective: It has not been well established whether the oxidative stress found in cancer patients results from an increased production of oxidants in the body or from a failure of physiological antioxidant systems. To further investigate this question, we have assessed the blood levels of reactive oxygen species as a marker of free radicals producing oxidative stress and the most relevant of the physiological body enzymes counteracting reactive oxygen species, namely glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase. We also investigated serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines and IL-2.

The impact of different antioxidant agents alone or in combination on reactive oxygen species, antioxidant enzymes and cytokines in a series of advanced cancer patients at different sites: correlation with disease progression.

In the present study we tested the ability of different antioxidant agents, used alone or in combination, to reduce the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and to increase the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. Moreover, we tested the ability of such antioxidant agents to reduce the serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNFalpha. Fifty-six advanced stage cancer patients with tumors at different sites were included in the study: they were mainly stage III (12.

Phase II clinical trial of local use of GM-CSF for prevention and treatment of chemotherapy- and concomitant chemoradiotherapy-induced severe oral mucositis in advanced head and neck cancer patients: an evaluation of effectiveness, safety and costs.

In the present open non-randomized phase II study we looked for effectiveness, safety, tolerability and costs of locally applied GM-CSF in preventing or treating mucositis in patients receiving chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer. In addition to clinical mucositis scoring system, the effects of treatment with GM-CSF were evaluated by its impact on patient quality of life and by laboratory immunological assays such as serum proinflammatory cytokines, IL-2 and leptin. The trial was designed to assess the effectiveness of local GM-CSF treatment in two different settings: i) prophylaxis of mucositis; ii) treatment of mucositis.

Induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiation therapy in advanced head and neck cancer: a phase II study for organ-sparing purposes evaluating feasibility, effectiveness and toxicity.

The purpose of the study was to assess response rate, clinical outcome, organ/function preservation and toxicity in head and neck cancer patients treated with induction chemotherapy followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy and, when necessary, limited surgery. The study design was a phase II non-randomized trial in hospitalized patients setting. The treatment plan consisted of 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy with cisplatin, fluorouracil (5-FU), l-leucovorin and interferon alpha2b (PFL-IFN) followed by 7 cycles of 5-FU, hydroxyurea and concomitant radiation for 5 days (FHX) for a total radiation dose of 70 Gy.