Hokkaido University · Medicine
Professor Akihiro Homma's research lab specializes in advanced head and neck oncology, focusing on innovative regional chemotherapy techniques such as superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. The lab investigates dose-dense and alternative platinum-based regimens—like weekly cisplatin and carboplatin—to improve treatment efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. A key research direction involves optimizing treatment protocols for advanced nasal and paranasal sinus cancers, with a strong emphasis on organ preservation and long-term outcomes.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Although a single institution experience, the results of the current study suggest that RADPLAT can cure the majority of patients with advanced cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, as well as preserve organs. Late adverse reactions should be monitored in future studies.
Weekly cisplatin could be easier to manage than three-weekly cisplatin, because patients can be monitored more regularly for toxicity allowing the schedule to be altered if required. This regimen appears to be a suitable alternative to three-weekly high-dose cisplatin with concomitant radiotherapy.
UMIN-CTR (UMIN000032600), Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03569436).
These findings suggest that weekly carboplatin treatment is preferable to daily low-dose cisplatin. This could be because the total dose of cisplatin was too low to be effective.
Intra-arterial chemotherapy has been used to treat localized malignant neoplasms in patients with head and neck cancer for over 50 years as the head and neck region is particularly well suited to regional chemotherapy. Early intra-arterial chemotherapy did not prove its efficacy. In addition, the additional complications associated with establishing and maintaining arterial access have further dampened enthusiasm for this approach. Subsequent significant advances in vascular radiology techniques
We confirmed the efficacy of superselective arterial infusion and concomitant radiotherapy, which can concentrate the attack of supradose cisplatin on locoregional disease. Even patients with unresectable disease can be cured. Further studies are needed to establish the indications, long-term outcome, and possible late side effects of this treatment.
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