Neoadjuvant Capecitabine in Operable HPV-Negative Head and Neck Cancer: Fortuitous Findings in a Resource Constrained Setting.

Objective: Limited progress has occurred in treating operable human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Accessing timely care remains challenging in public health care systems, potentially resulting in disease progression before treatment initiation.

Study Design: A prospective cohort of patients receiving neoadjuvant capecitabine (NC) was compared to stage-matched patients undergoing standard of care (SC).

Setting: This study was performed at 2 academic centers in Montreal, Canada.

Methods: To ascertain the effect of 2 cycles of NC in operable HPV-negative HNSCC patients on clinical-to-pathologic stage migration. Comparison to an SC group was performed to site and TNM stage matched patients. Pathologic treatment response was measured using the modified Ryan score.

Results: We compared 16 NC patients (11 oral cavity, 3 skin, 2 larynx) with 32 SC patients. Ten NC patients exhibited a pathologic response (1 complete, 3 major, 6 minor). Clinical-to-pathologic stage migration differed significantly between NC and SC groups: downstage (6 vs 1), upstage (3 vs 14), no change (7 vs 17, P = .0047). There was no severe treatment toxicity related to capecitabine. All patients in the NC group underwent surgery.

Conclusion: NC followed by surgery demonstrates measurable pathologic response in HPV-negative HNSCC, suggesting potential utility in resource-limited health care settings.