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. 1992 Jun;118(6):458–462. doi: 10.1007/BF01629430

High-dose folinic acid and 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin on a weekly schedule in the treatment of advanced cancer of the head and neck

Vittorio Gebbia 1,✉, Anna Russo 1, Nicola Gebbia 1, Luciano Rausa 1, Federico Ingria 2, Giovanni Spatafora 2, Giuseppe Zerillo 2, Antonino Cimino 2, Tommaso Pastorello 3, Pietro Ferrara 3, Sergio Palmeri 1
PMCID: PMC12200035  PMID: 1618894

Abstract

A group of 60 patients with advanced head/neck cancer were treated with high-dose folinic acid (500 mg/m−2/week−1) plus 5-fluorouracil (400 mg/m−2/week−1 on day 1, and cisplatin (20 mg/m−2/week−1) 24 h after folinic acid infusion was completed. Out of 55 evaluable patients, 10 patients (18%) experienced a complete response with a mean duration of 11.4+ months, 25 patients had a partial response (45%) of 6.7+ months, 6 patients (11%) showed a stabilization of 4.8+months, and 14 (25%) progressed. The overall response rate was 63.6% (95% confidence limits 56.5%–69.5%). Patients pretreated with radiotherapy had a 67% overall response rate, while those pretreated with chemotherapy showed a 54% overall response rate. All patients with cancer of the oropharynx had a major response, while patients with cancer of the oral cavity had the lowest response rate. The mean survival of patients who attained a complete response was 14.5+ months. Partial responders had a mean survival of 10.6+ months, while patients who progresses survived a mean of 3.6+months. The treatment has been very well tolerated with few cases of grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity. Grade 1–2 leukopenia was recorded in 64% of cases, grade 1–2 nausea/vomiting in 85%. In one case therapy was stopped because of persistent diarrhoea.

Key words: Folinic acid, 5-Fluorouracil, Cisplatin, Head/neck cancer

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