COMBINATION CISPLATIN AND CARBOPLATIN IN ADVANCED SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HEAD AND NECK

Twenty-three patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the hea d and neck who had received Ilo prior chemotherapy were treated with c arboplatin 350 mg/m(2) followed by cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) every 28 days. Twenty-one of 23 patients were evaluable for response and toxicity. E ight patients (38%) achieved complete response (CR) or partial respons e (PR) with 2 CR and 6 PR. The overall median survival was 8.4 months (range 19 days-56+ months). The major toxicity was hematological with grade III/IV granulocytopenia in 32% and grade III/IV thrombocytopenia in 32%. There was very little nonhematological toxicity and no nephro toxicity. There were no therapy-related deaths. The combination carbop latin/cisplatin is tolerable inpatients with squamous cell carcinoma o f the head and neck, with objective responses in 38%; however, the res ponse rate was not superior to single-agent carboplatin or cisplatin. Further studies with a higher dose of cisplatin should be considered.