EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF SUBCUTANEOUS AMIFOSTINE IN MINIMIZING RADIATION-INDUCED TOXICITIES IN PATIENTS RECEIVING COMBINED-MODALITY TREATMENT FOR SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF THE HEAD AND NECK

Purpose To report long-term data from a prospective trial of subcutaneous (s.c.) amifostine in patients who received chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Methods and Materials Patients ≥18 years of age with previously untreated Stage III/IV SCCHN received fractionated radiotherapy, 1.8–2.0 Gy/day, 5 days per week, to a total dose of 70–72 Gy, plus weekly paclitaxel (40 mg/m 2 ) and carboplatin (100 mg/m 2 ) administered intravenously (i.v.) for 6 weeks. All patients received 500 mg s.c. amifostine 30–60 min before radiotherapy with antihistamine and antiemetic prophylaxis. Results Twenty patients were evaluable (median age, 55 years). The incidence of Grade 2 xerostomia was 42% and 29% at 12 and 18 months, respectively; there were no reports of Grade ≥3 xerostomia. Grade ≥3 mucositis occurred in 30% of patients, with median time to resolution of 12.5 weeks (range, 5–17 weeks). Survival estimates at 1 and 2 years were 95% and 71%, respectively. All patients experienced Grade 2 weight loss; 7 patients (35%) experienced Grade ≤2 nausea/vomiting. There were no reports of Grade ≥3 amifostine-related adverse events. Conclusions Subcutaneous amifostine was well tolerated by patients receiving chemoradiotherapy for SCCHN, with lower rates of nausea/vomiting than reported in trials with i.v. amifostine. Xerostomia and mucositis rates were similar to those reported in trials with i.v. amifostine.