Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Lewis, Luke M
• Tang, Alice L
• Wise‐Draper, Trisha M
• Myers, Kasiani C
• Greenberger, Joel S
• Takiar, Vinita

Titel

Successful use of a therapeutic trial of graduated volume and dose escalation for postoperative head and neck radiotherapy in a Fanconi anemia patient

Ist Teil von

• Head & neck, 2020-10, Vol.42 (10), p.E16-E22

Ort / Verlag

Hoboken, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2020

Quelle

Access via Wiley Online Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Background Patients with the heritable disease, Fanconi anemia (FA), have a 500‐fold risk of developing head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). However, the use of conventional cytotoxic agents including radiation therapy and cisplatin‐based chemotherapy is contraindicated in patients with FA due to underlying DNA repair defects. Methods/Results We present a young FA patient with recurrent HNSCC and high‐risk pathologic features treated with a therapeutic trial of chemoradiation. This novel strategy employs a gentle radiation dose and volume escalation with concurrent pembrolizumab. The patient completed the entire course of therapy with no treatment delays or interruptions. Conclusions The FA patient population has a clear need for adjuvant treatment regimens given their predilection for HNSCC. A therapeutic trial may allow FA and other radiosensitive patients to trial radiation with the option to terminate treatment before any severe side effects occur and for some to complete a full course of treatment.