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

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. 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