Primary concurrent chemoradiation therapy with triweekly cisplatin as a standard protocol in patients aged ≥65 years with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Aim: To evaluate the results of primary concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) with triweekly cisplatin in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) aged ≥65 years by comparing these patients to those aged < 65 years.

Methods: This prospective, single-center study enrolled patients with HNSCC for whom CCRT was indicated as the primary treatment. The major endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results: A total of 169 patients were enrolled; 75 (44.4%) and 94 (55.6%) patients were aged ≥65 and < 65 years, respectively. The mean cumulative cisplatin doses were 192.8 mg/m and 212.3 mg/m in patients ≥65 and < 65, respectively (p < .001). The incidence rates of any grade 3-4 toxicities were 37.3% and 51.1% in the age ≥65 and < 65 groups, respectively (p = .085). The 5-year locoregional control, distant control, PFS, ultimate PFS, and disease-specific survival were comparable between both groups. The 5-year OS was significantly lower in the ≥65 group than the < 65 group (65.5% vs. 86.4%, p = .010) due to a lower salvage rate and higher incidence of non-HNSCC-related death. In a Cox regression analysis, age ≥65 years was not associated with increased risk of treatment failure but was associated with higher overall death rate (hazard ratio, 2.590; 95% confidence interval, 1.219-5.502; p = .013).

Conclusion: CCRT with a triweekly cisplatin regimen could act as the standard of ca for HNSCC in elderly patients. However, the relatively lower OS compared to younger patients should be acknowledged, despite a favorable disease control rates.