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Abstract Background The aim of the present study was to evaluate the survival, efficacy and safety of a modified RADPLAT-like protocol using carboplatin instead of cisplatin. Methods Fifty-six patients with primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma received 4 cycles of intra-arterial carboplatin (350 mg/m2 per cycle every 2 weeks), with concurrent three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy. Results Two major and 4 minor complications were observed. Forty-five of the 56 patients (80%) completed the protocol, while 11 (20%) patients had to discontinue the intra-arterial infusions due to the occurrence of severe haematological toxicity, but were able to complete radiotherapy. Forty-four (98%) of the 45 patients who completed the protocol and 10 (91%) of the 11 who did not, were free of disease at the end of the treatment, for a comprehensive 96% of CR overall. After a median 23.55 months (range: 2 to 58 months) of follow-up, 40 patients (71%) are alive and disease-free, 1 (2%) is alive but affected by disease and 15 (27%) have died of the disease or other causes. Conclusion Intra-arterial carboplatin administration with concurrent three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy seems to be a promising alternative to RADPLAT in the treatment of advanced head and neck tumours. Haematological and non-haematological toxicities are virtually similar, but carboplatin has the advantage in that it is not nephrotoxic and can be used at very high doses without any significant increase in the extent of side effects.

Background: While conventional transhepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is accepted worldwide as an effective treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its use in other hepatic tumors is not supported by randomized studies. Preliminary results have shown that new drug-eluting microspheres (DEM) seem to optimize TACE procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of HepaSphere to load oxaliplatin and their pharmacokinetic outcome. The feasibility and safety of treatment with oxaliplatin-eluting microspheres (OEM-TACE) was also evaluated in patients with unresectable liver metastasis of colorectal cancer and unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma., Patients and Methods: An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) was used to quantify the oxaliplatin bound to microspheres and the oxaliplatin in liver biopsies. Fifteen patients (8 with colorectal carcinoma liver metastases, 7 with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma) were treated with 27 sessions of OEM-TACE., Results: The data suggested that the microspheres can bind oxaliplatin entirely. The pharmacokinetic parameters were significantly different between the OEM-TACE patients and a control group of patients treated with oxaliplatin chemotherapy. The mean oxaliplatin concentration within the tumor was twenty-times higher than the extratumoral liver concentration in the OEM-TACE patients. According to response evaluating criteria in solid tumors (RECIST), stable disease was observed in 8 out of the 15 patients (53.3%), a partial response in 2 (13.3%) and intrahepatic or extrahepatic tumor progression in 5 out of the 15 patients (33.3%). No major adverse event (AE G3/4) occurred., Conclusion: TACE with oxaliplatin-loaded microspheres is a safe and feasible treatment without major adverse events and with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile.