Comparing 2 versus 3 Courses of Cisplatin Chemotherapy with Radiotherapy After Surgery for High-risk Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether giving 2 courses of cisplatin chemotherapy along with postoperative radiotherapy is as effective as 3 courses in treating patients with high-risk head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after surgery. This phase 3 randomized trial focuses on patients with advanced stages III and IV of this cancer type who have undergone radical surgery but have high-risk factors such as extracapsular invasion or positive surgical margins. The main goal is to compare the 3-year failure-free survival rates between the two treatment approaches. Participants will be assigned to one of two groups. One group receives intensity-modulated radiotherapy totaling more than 66 Gy, given once daily five days a week, combined with cisplatin chemotherapy at 100 mgm2 through intravenous injection on days 1 and 22 2 courses. The other group receives the same radiotherapy schedule plus 3 courses of cisplatin chemotherapy on days 1, 22, and 43. Both treatments are delivered under medical supervision to assess outcomes and side effects. During the study, participants will undergo regular assessments to evaluate failure-free survival, overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival, locoregional recurrence-free survival, and quality of life over a 3-year period. Safety and treatment tolerability will also be monitored. The trial includes close follow-up visits and evaluations to measure the effects of the different chemotherapy schedules combined with radiotherapy on cancer control and patient well-being.

2 Courses of Concurrent Cisplatin Chemoradiotherapy After Surgery for High-risk Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma