Concomitant boost chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer: treatment tolerance and acute side effects.

Aim: In the present study, we evaluated treatment tolerance and side effects of 6 days a week accelerated radiation therapy using concomitant boost methods with chemotherapy in locally advanced head and neck cancer.

Materials And Methods: Thirty patients suffered locally advanced head and neck malignancies were included into this clinical trial. The patients were scheduled for accelerated radiotherapy with total dose of 70 Gy 6 days a week (5 days radiotherapy and 1-day concomitant boost radiotherapy) for 5 weeks and also concurrently for chemotherapy with cisplatin and also celecoxib.

Results: The average age of the patients was 51.47 ± 11.49 years. The incidence of acute mucositis at the end of the 1st week was 33.3% that was gradually increased until the end of the 5th week (93.3%) and then had a decreasing trend within the 6th week (70.0%). The incidence of acute dysphagia was estimated 23.3% at the end of the 1st week and reached 60% at completion of treatment.

Conclusion: Scheduling a treatment approach with 6 days a week, accelerated radiation therapy using concomitant boost methods with chemotherapy, and celecoxib leads to significant reducing the incidence of complications in the final weeks of therapy in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer.