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What is your approach in deciding on definitive therapy for locally advanced, HPV-negative head and neck cancer unsuitable for standard cisplatin based chemo?

How do you decide on other chemo regimen? (Dosing, frequency, carboplatin based, non-platinum based etc.) Would you use Cetuximab? Altered fractionation RT with or without chemo?
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How do you definitively treat locally advanced HPV- H&N SCC who cannot get platinum-based chemo?

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4 Answers
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Radiation Oncology · University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Answered on

The real answer is it depends on the medical oncologist as (s)he typically administers the therapy.

It also depends on why cisplatin is contraindicated. Is it an otherwise healthy patient who has renal or hearing issues, or is it an elderly patient with a marginal PS for whom cytotoxics, in general, ...

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Radiation Oncology · University of Michigan
Answered on

Agree with @Dr. First Last. The choice, in this case, is between altered fractionation, a sensitizer that differs from cisplatin (assuming the pt cannot tolerate weekly low dose cisplatin), or a combination of both. For concurrent cetuximab, there is one randomized study demonstrating its benefit co...

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Radiation Oncology · University of Florida
Answered on

Hyperfractionation and carboplatin

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Medical Oncology · University of Michigan Medical School
Answered on

I always try to give platinum, meaning that I would give Carboplatin (AUC 5-6) every 21 days during RT as long as the CrCl is > 30 cc/min. I think that alternatives with cetuximab and RT and altered fraction RT are also useful. In the adjuvant setting, I would consider weekly docetaxel and cetuximab...

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