INTRAARTERIAL CHEMOTHERAPY IN ADVANCED HEAD AND NECK TUMORS

Locally advanced and recurrent head and neck tumors are difficult cases for treatment. Although surgical treatment could be applied, in 2/3 of the cases recurrences should be expected. Because of their special arterial supply intraarterial chemotherapy has been applied since 1960's. In Ankara Oncology Hospital between 1992-1995 19 patients with head and neck tumors were catheterized arterially. Seven of them were female and 12 of them were male and the mean age was 57.5. Localization of the tumors were lower lip in 8, hard palatine in 2, face and scalp in 9 cases. It was seen that 5 of the patients had received systemic chemotherapy before the study. Fluorouracil and cisplatin were used intraarterially. Complications due to port-catheter systems developed in 10 cases and toxic side effects were seen in 14 cases. Progressive disease in 4 patients (40%), stable disease in 2 and partial remission were observed in 4 (40%) patients. Follow up period for these 10 evaluated patients were determined as 6.8 months. In conclusion it was thought that intraarterial chemotherapy could applied in locally advanced head-neck tumors carefully because of its complications and toxic side effects.