• Susan A McCloskey, Wainwright Jaggernauth, Nestor R Rigual, Wesley L Hicks, Saurin R Popat, Maureen Sullivan, Terry L Mashtare, Mohamed K Khan, Thom R Loree, and Anurag K Singh.
• Department of Radiation Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, USA.
• Am. J. Clin. Oncol. 2009 Dec 1; 32 (6): 587-91.

PurposeTo determine whether baseline hemoglobin level and radiation treatment interruptions predict for loco-regional failure after intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with concurrent chemotherapy for definitive treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).MethodsThis retrospective review identified 78 consecutive patients treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiation for SCCHN. Patients were treated with IMRT to 70 Gy in 35 daily fractions to the high-dose target volume and 56 Gy to the elective target volume.ResultsMedian age of the cohort was 62 (37-81). Median follow-up was 12 months. Tumor sites included: oropharynx (54%), larynx (36%), oral cavity (5%), and hypopharynx (5%). Fifteen of 78 patients (19%) experienced loco-regional failure. These included: 6 primary site failures, 5 regional failures, and 4 failures in both the primary site and regional lymph nodes. All but one failure occurred in the high-dose target volume. Only duration of radiation treatment and baseline hemoglobin levels were significant predictors of local control. Loco-regional failure occurred in 6 of 13 patients (46%) with radiation treatment interruptions (>1 week) versus 9 of 65 patients (14%) completing radiation therapy without interruption (P = 0.0148). Loco-regional failure occurred in 7 of 19 patients (37%) whose pretreatment hemoglobin level was <12 g/dL compared with 8 of 59 patients (14%) with hemoglobin levels > or = 12 (P = 0.042).ConclusionOverall radiation treatment time and pretreatment hemoglobin level were significant predictors for loco-regional failure after definitive concurrent chemotherapy and IMRT for SCCHN.

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