Platinum-Cetuximab Combined With Docetaxel or With 5FU in Patients With Recurrent/Metastatic HNSCC

Summary

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Description

The EXTREME regimen, i.e. cetuximab added to platinum (100 mg/m² every 3 weeks ) and 5FU (96h continuous infusion at 1000 mg/m²/day every 3 weeks) during 6 cycles of treatment and continued as maintenance in patients with stable disease, is currently the standard of care in first line recurrent meta...

The EXTREME regimen, i.e. cetuximab added to platinum (100 mg/m² every 3 weeks ) and 5FU (96h continuous infusion at 1000 mg/m²/day every 3 weeks) during 6 cycles of treatment and continued as maintenance in patients with stable disease, is currently the standard of care in first line recurrent metastatic HNSCC. From our previous experience (phase II GORTEC "TPEx" study), the TPEx regimen of 4 cycles of docetaxel-cisplatin-cetuximab followed by maintenance with cetuximab every 2 weeks seems more efficient (overall survival) compared to EXTREME regiment. Docetaxel combined with cisplatine (each administered at 75mg/m² every 3 weeks) also appeared more convenient than the standard Cisplatin-5FU-Cetuximab EXTREME regimen (4 cycles of chemotherapy instead of 6 cycles and no i.v. continuous infusion). Toxicity was manageable with G-CSF support. In addition the toxicity / efficacy profile also seems favourable as suggested by the excellent dose intensity achieved and the high rate of patients (78%) who were able to start maintenance therapy. Taking together all these considerations, the TPEx regimen might be a good substitute for EXTREME as first-line treatment in patients with recurrent metastatic HNSCC, and it is justified and necessary to perform a direct comparison in a randomized trial to further test this hypothesis.

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