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Keri Sperry (703) 227-0156 [email protected]
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For Release: November 3, 1999
COMBINING RADIATION THERAPY WITH CHEMOTHERAPY OFFERS IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PATIENTS WITH
ADVANCED LARYNGEAL CANCER
Radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy offers patients with advanced laryngeal cancer the chance to keep their voicebox without added risks or significant side effects, reveals a recent study.
Forty-seven patients with advanced laryngeal cancer, who would have required surgery to remove the diseased organ, underwent chemotherapy plus radiation therapy instead. ìThe goal of this study was to preserve the voicebox thus maintaining the patientsà ability to speak as part of an overall effort to increase the patientsà quality of life,î says Misa Lee, M.D. now at Emanuel Hospital in Portland, OR. Dr. Lee conducted the study while at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Forty of the 47 patients took a survey before treatment, then six months and 12 months after treatment to determine the effect chemotherapy and radiation therapy would have on the patientsà quality of life. ìOverall, there were only a few significant differences in the pre- and post-treatment assessments, including increased dryness of the mouth and an inability to tolerate solid food,î says Dr. Lee. ìPost-treatment, about 50 percent of the patients required soft diet as their main diet. There were no significant changes in the severity of pain, speech ability and swallowing after treatment. Furthermore, overall consensus of the patients was some, although not significant, improvement in general, emotional, and functional well being,î added Dr. Lee.
At five years follow-up, there was an overall survival rate of 42.6 percent, which is comparable to surgery.
ìOrgan preservation, with chemotherapy plus radiation therapy in patients with advanced cancer is feasible and promising. Not only are the results of this study comparable to those obtained with surgery with respect to the survival, it also allows patients the chance to preserve their organ without significant change in their overall quality of life,î says Dr. Lee.
Dr. Lee presented this study on November 3 at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology 41st annual meeting in San Antonio, TX.
The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 5,000 members. As a leading organization in radiation oncology, biology and physics, the society's goals are to advance the scientific base of radiation therapy and to extend the benefits of radiation therapy to those with cancer.
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