Summary
This study was designed to evaluate the activity, safety and tolerance of docetaxel (D) in a selected population with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Twenty-four patients with no prior palliative therapy were enrolled and received D 100 mg m–2 by 1 h of infusion, every 3 weeks. All but two patients had been evaluated for efficacy on lung metastatic sites. No prophylactic administration of anti-emetics or growth factors was given. A pharmacokinetic study was performed in 22 patients. Twenty-one patients were assessable for response and 24 for toxicity. One hundred and four cycles were administered with a median of 4.5 (range 1–9) per patient. The median cumulative dose was 449 mg m–2. Partial responses were achieved in five patients with a median duration of 18.7 weeks (range 13.1–50.3). The overall response rate was 20.8% with a median duration of 11.0 weeks (range 2.4–52.6). The most frequent side-effect was neutropenia (79.2% grade IV) but with a short duration (median 4 days) and no febrile neutropenia. The incidence of moderate/severe fluid retention was 29.2% with one treatment discontinuation. Other toxicities (all grades) were common (skin 75%, asthenia 50%, infection 29.2%, nausea 16.7%, diarrhoea 12.5%, stomatitis 16.7%, vomiting 8.3% and HSR 8.3%). A mean clearance of 19.6 l h–1 m–2 and an area under the curve of 6.00 μg ml–1 h–1 was found in the pharmacokinetic analysis. Docetaxel is active in this selected population with metastatic SCCHN, with a good tolerance.
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Couteau, C., Chouaki, N., Leyvraz, S. et al. A phase II study of docetaxel in patients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Br J Cancer 81, 457–462 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6690715
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6690715
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