Retrograde superselective intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the therapeutic outcomes and organ preservation in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa treated with radiotherapy and retrograde superselective intra-arterial chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Between April 2006 and March 2016, 28 patients (3 with stage II; 8 with stage III; and 17 with stage IV) with squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa were treated with definitive intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy. The median follow-up for all patients was 39months (range, 4-123months ). Catheterization of the tumor feeding arteries from the superficial temporal and/or occipital arteries was performed. Treatment consisted of radiotherapy (total 50-70 Gy) and daily concurrent superselective    intra-arterial chemotherapy (docetaxel, 50-70 mg/m2, cisplatin, total 125-175 mg/m2) for 5-7 weeks. Results: After intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy, primary site complete response was achieved in 25 (89.3%) of 28 cases. Three-year local control and overall survival rates were 82.1% and 85.4%, respectively. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included mucositis in 96.4%, and dermatitis in 28.6% of patients. Grade 3 toxicities included dysphagia in 35.7%, neutropenia in 28.6%, anemia in 10.7%, and fever in 7.1% of patients. Conclusion: Retrograde superselective intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa provided good local control and overall survival.