Table 1.
Baseline demographics and clinical characteristics.
| Characteristics | N = 38 (%) |
|---|---|
| Age, median (range), years | 54 (18–72) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 33 (86.8) |
| Female | 5 (13.2) |
| Race | |
| Asian | 38 (100) |
| Others | 0 (0) |
| ECOG performance status | |
| 0 | 4 (10.5) |
| 1 | 34 (89.5) |
| 2 | 0 (0) |
| Histology (WHO) | |
| WHO I, squamous cell carcinoma | 0 (0) |
| WHO II, non-keratinizing carcinoma | 1 (2.6) |
| WHO III, undifferentiated carcinoma | 36 (94.7) |
| Unknown | 1 (2.6) |
| Stage | |
| Primary metastases | 17 (44.7) |
| Recurrence with nodal/distant metastases | 18 (47.4) |
| Recurrence with local and nodal/distant metastases | 3 (7.9) |
| Location of recurrent/metastatic diseases | |
| Bone | 23 (60.5) |
| Liver | 27 (71.1) |
| Lung | 15 (39.5) |
| Neck lymph nodes | 13 (34.2) |
| Distant lymph nodes | 23 (60.5) |
| Nasopharynx | 9 (23.7) |
| Others | 6 (15.8) |
| Previous radiotherapy to head and neck | |
| Radical treatment (66 Gy or above)a | 20 (52.6) |
| High dose palliation (60 Gy or above)a | 13 (34.2) |
| No | 5 (13.2) |
| Previous lines of therapy for recurrent/metastatic disease | |
| 1 | 9 (23.7) |
| 2 | 14 (36.8) |
| 3 | 5 (13.2) |
| 4 or more | 10 (26.3) |
| Previous chemotherapy for advanced disease | |
| Cisplatin | 31 (81.6) |
| Paclitaxel | 12 (31.6) |
| Gemcitabine | 38 (100) |
| 5-fluorouracil | 7 (18.4) |
| Carboplatin | 31 (81.6) |
| Docetaxel | 3 (7.9) |
| Cyclophosphamide | 2 (5.3) |
| Cetuximab | 1 (2.6) |
| Others (nadeplatin, tegafur, capecitabine) | 27 (71.1) |
ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; WHO, World Health Organization.
a
Radiation dose in 2 Gy equivalent.