Abstract

A phase II study to determine the response rate and toxicity of docetaxel and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) every four weeks ('TF'), in patients with incurable SCCHN.Patients with metastatic or recurrent SCCHN with an ECOG PS < 3 were enrolled in an institutional review board approved trial. Prior induction or adjuvant chemotherapy was permitted provided six months had elapsed. The regimen was docetaxel 70 mg/m2 i.v., day 1 and 5-FU 800 mg/m2/d x 5 days, days 1-5, as a continuous intravenous infusion, repeated every 28 days. Planned intra-patient dose modifications were based on hematological, cutaneous, and gastrointestinal toxicities. Patients were removed from the study for progression of disease or unacceptable toxicity.Seventeen patients were enrolled. Fourty-six cycles of TF were administered. Reasons for discontinuance of TF included: progressive disease, 12 patients; toxicity, 3 patients; concomitant illness, 1 patient; death, 1 patient. The most common toxicities were neutropenia, mucositis, anemia, fatigue, alopecia, pain, diarrhea and nausea. Evaluation of responses to TF showed that there were four patients of seventeen (24%, 95% exact CI: 6.8-49.9) who achieved a PR or CR. Accrual was terminated after interim analysis of the response rate of the first 17 patients failed to exceed 4 of 17.The response rate to TF in patients with SCCHN was lower than expected. Trials of other regimens should take precedence over further exploration of the TF regimen.

View details for Web of Science ID 000087581500012

View details for PubMedID 10907945