Suhag V, et al. - A comparative scrutiny was pursued of the tolerance of concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) and its toxicity profile amongst two groups: Arm A being outdoor patients and Arm B comprised of hospitalized locally advanced head and neck carcinoma patients (LAHNC) in an oncology centre of a tertiary care hospital. The hospitalized patients reported a marginally better tolerance of CCRT, with considerably few associated complications than the outdoor setting. It was recommended that every institute ought to promulgate its own guidelines in terms of hospitalization of such patients.

Methods

• 100 patients were recruited, 50 in each arm.
• Oropharynx was the most common site, followed by larynx and hypopharynx.
• During this study, 38 patients in Arm A received full 6 cycles of weekly chemotherapy with Inj Cisplatin infusion.
• 39 of the hospitalized patients completed 6 cycles of weekly Cisplatin.
• 4 patients received 3 weekly Cisplatin.

Results

• The average duration of treatment was 49.
• 18 days in arm A and 50.92 days in arm B.
• It was disclosed that the incidence of Grade II onwards dysphagia was 48 and 45 (96 and 90%) in Arm A and Arm B respectively; Chi Square value-0.6 (Yate’s corrected); P value-0.43.
• Grade III oral mucositis appeared in 14% patients in Arm A and 34% patients in Arm B.
• 3 patients (6%) in Arm A and 14 patients (28%) in Arm B reported the presence of Grade II and III hematological toxicities and nephrological toxicities.
• The presence of aspiration pneumonia was found in 2 patients (4%) in Arm A and in 4 patients (8%) in Arm B, Chi Square value-0.2 (Yate’s corrected) P value-0.67.
• The incidence of febrile neutropenia appeared to be 3 and 10 in Arms A and B (6 and 20%) respectively.