Cisplatin/Epinephrine Gel for Head and Neck Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Werner J A, Kehrl W, Pluzanska A, Arndt O, Lavery K M, Glaholm J, Dietz A, Dyckhoff G, Maune S, Stewart M E, Orenberg E K, Leavitt R D
Hypothesis
Regression of the clinically dominant tumour consequent to local treatment with CDDP/epi gel would improve patient well-being by relieving or preventing the most life-impacting symptom.
Conclusion
Intratumoural therapy with cisplatin/epinephrine gel provided safe, well-tolerated, effective palliative treatment for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Supporting Evidence
- 25% of tumours treated with the gel responded, compared to 3% with placebo.
- Patient benefit was positively associated with target tumour response among gel recipients.
- The most frequent adverse event was pain during injection.
Takeaway
Doctors tested a special gel to help patients with tough-to-treat throat cancer. The gel worked better than a fake treatment, helping some patients feel better.
Methodology
The study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with patients receiving either the gel or placebo injected into their tumours.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the subjective nature of patient-reported outcomes.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and was limited to patients with specific types of head and neck cancer.
Participant Demographics
Patients had recurrent or refractory head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, with a history of prior treatments.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.007
Statistical Significance
p=0.007
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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