COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF VARIOUSLY FRACTIONATED CHEMORADIATION AND RADIATION THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER OF THE ORAL AND OROPHARYNGEAL MUCOSA BY THE EFFECTIVENESS-TOXICITY CRITERION

Two hundred and thirty-three patients with primary cancer of the oral and otopharyngeal mucosa received chemoradiotherapy with unequal divisions of a daily dose and standard radiotherapy. After chemoradiotherapy with division of the dose of into 1 + 1.5 Gy and fractionation into 1 + 2 Gy, the rate of objective responses (a sum of complete and partial regressions) was significantly higher than that following standard radiotherapy (97.8, 100, and 61.9%, respectively). During chemoradiation therapy in the 1 + 1.5 Gy and 1 + 2 Gy regimen, the incidence of Grade 3 mucositis was 40.5 and 77.8% (p < 0.05) versus 52.7% of those receiving the standard radiotherapy. Late radiation damage to normal tissues and organs in a radiation area were observed in 8.9, 10.8, and 20.2% of cases, respectively (p > 0.05). In terms of the early toxic effect - mucosal radiation reactions, variously fractionated chemotherapy is fairly tolerated by patients and, after it, there is no increase in late local toxicity as compared to the standard radiotherapy.

objective response, effectiveness-toxicity, chemoradiotherapy, late radiation damages