A meta-analysis of weekly cisplatin versus three weekly cisplatin chemotherapy plus concurrent radiotherapy (CRT) for advanced head and neck cancer (HNC)

// Jian Guan 1, * , Yue Zhang 1, * , Qinyang Li 1 , Yaowei Zhang 1 , Lu Li 1 , Min Chen 1 , Nanjie Xiao 1 , Longhua Chen 1 1 Department of Radiation Oncology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jian Guan, email: guanjian5461@163.com Longhua Chen, email: chenlh5461@163.com Keywords: cisplatin, head and neck, cancer, therapy, meta-analysis Received: January 11, 2016 Accepted: August 22, 2016 Published: September 02, 2016 ABSTRACT Purpose: This study was performed to compare the efficacies and acute toxicities in weekly- and three weekly- cisplatin based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for advanced HNC patients. Results: 779 patients of 10 studies were eligible. No difference in the 2-, 3-year OS or 1-, 2-year LRFS was observed, whereas patients in three weekly CCRT arm tended to have a better 5-year OS (HR=1.79, 95%C 0.97-3.31, p=0.06). Weekly arm seemed to show less gastrointestinal toxicities (RR=0.59, 95%CI 0.34-1.02, p=0.06), but similar hematologic toxicity compared to three weekly arm. Subgroup analysis displayed more grade ≥3 mucositis (RR=1.72, p=0.01), and more chemotherapy related delay/interrupt (RR=2.68, p