Quality of life following treatment with intra-arterial cisplatin with concurrent radiation and erlotinib for locally advanced head and neck cancer

Objectives Studies that focus on the feasibility of using erlotinib plus chemoradiation to treat locally advanced head and neck cancer have given hints of improved survival outcomes compared to chemoradiation alone. However, the influence of this treatment regimen on the quality of life of the patients has not been documented. We conducted a study of this triple combination and now have documented follow-up survival data as well as long-term quality of life (QoL) measures. Methods Three sets of QoL questionnaires were given to patients with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer at two time points, pre- and post-treatment, to assess differences in quality of life after receiving chemotherapy with intra-arterial (IA) cisplatin (150 mg/m 2 ), concomitant radiation (70 Gy), and oral erlotinib (150 mg/day). Additionally, patients were followed for a total of 5 years. Results Treatment had a detrimental effect on appearance, taste, and saliva domain scores in their QoL questionnaires. Nonetheless, fewer patients reported pain and anxiety. Significance of results The combination of erlotinib with chemoradiation produced similar adverse effects on the QoL scores of patients with head and neck cancer as compared to chemoradiation alone.