Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: Postoperative chemoradiotherapy has arisen as an adjuvant option for head and neck cancers, but its superiority to radiotherapy alone in patients with adverse pathologic factors is not yet well defined. We aimed to perform an updated meta-analysis comparing outcomes in head and neck canc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gabriela Garcia Korczaguin, Gilberto Vaz Teixeira, Ashok Shaha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1808869424001319
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850285022776393728
author Gabriela Garcia Korczaguin
Gilberto Vaz Teixeira
Ashok Shaha
author_facet Gabriela Garcia Korczaguin
Gilberto Vaz Teixeira
Ashok Shaha
author_sort Gabriela Garcia Korczaguin
collection DOAJ
description Objectives: Postoperative chemoradiotherapy has arisen as an adjuvant option for head and neck cancers, but its superiority to radiotherapy alone in patients with adverse pathologic factors is not yet well defined. We aimed to perform an updated meta-analysis comparing outcomes in head and neck cancer patients with adverse pathologic factors who underwent postoperative chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) in patients submitted to postoperative adjuvant therapy with radiotherapy alone or chemoradiotherapy. Results: We included 8 studies with a total of 2376 patients, of whom 1183 (49.8%) underwent postoperative chemoradiotherapy. In pooled analysis, overall survival (HR = 0.86; 95% CI 0.76‒0.98; p = 0.64; I2 = 0%) and disease-free survival (HR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.75‒0.96; p = 0.64; I2 = 0%) were shown to be superior in patients undergoing combined therapy. Chemoradiotherapy was also associated with significantly lower locoregional recurrence. However, there was no significant difference in distant metastasis occurrence between both groups. In an analysis of the extracapsular extension subgroup, the overall survival (OR = 3.12; 95% CI 1.76–5.51; p = 0.78; I2 = 0%), disease-free survival (OR = 3.44; 95% CI 2.00‒5.91; p = 0.68; I2 = 0%), and locoregional control (OR = 1.86; 95% CI 1.16‒2.99; p = 0.98; I2 = 0%) were better in the postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy branch over radiotherapy alone. Conclusion: The results of our meta-analysis suggest that postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer with adverse pathologic factors favors a superior survival and a better locoregional control compared to postoperative radiotherapy alone, despite not affecting the ocurrence of distant metastasis.
format Article
id doaj-art-e58041934c984d39a830290b2736c5bf
institution OA Journals
issn 1808-8694
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
spelling doaj-art-e58041934c984d39a830290b2736c5bf2025-08-20T01:47:25ZengElsevierBrazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology1808-86942025-01-0191110151610.1016/j.bjorl.2024.101516Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysisGabriela Garcia Korczaguin0Gilberto Vaz Teixeira1Ashok Shaha2Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Corresponding author.Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil; Centro de Pesquisas Oncológicas (CEPON), Serviço de Cabeça e Pescoço, Florianópolis, SC, BrazilMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Head and Neck Service, New York, USA; Cornell University Medical College, New York, USAObjectives: Postoperative chemoradiotherapy has arisen as an adjuvant option for head and neck cancers, but its superiority to radiotherapy alone in patients with adverse pathologic factors is not yet well defined. We aimed to perform an updated meta-analysis comparing outcomes in head and neck cancer patients with adverse pathologic factors who underwent postoperative chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) in patients submitted to postoperative adjuvant therapy with radiotherapy alone or chemoradiotherapy. Results: We included 8 studies with a total of 2376 patients, of whom 1183 (49.8%) underwent postoperative chemoradiotherapy. In pooled analysis, overall survival (HR = 0.86; 95% CI 0.76‒0.98; p = 0.64; I2 = 0%) and disease-free survival (HR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.75‒0.96; p = 0.64; I2 = 0%) were shown to be superior in patients undergoing combined therapy. Chemoradiotherapy was also associated with significantly lower locoregional recurrence. However, there was no significant difference in distant metastasis occurrence between both groups. In an analysis of the extracapsular extension subgroup, the overall survival (OR = 3.12; 95% CI 1.76–5.51; p = 0.78; I2 = 0%), disease-free survival (OR = 3.44; 95% CI 2.00‒5.91; p = 0.68; I2 = 0%), and locoregional control (OR = 1.86; 95% CI 1.16‒2.99; p = 0.98; I2 = 0%) were better in the postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy branch over radiotherapy alone. Conclusion: The results of our meta-analysis suggest that postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer with adverse pathologic factors favors a superior survival and a better locoregional control compared to postoperative radiotherapy alone, despite not affecting the ocurrence of distant metastasis.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1808869424001319Head and neck squamous cell carcinomaAdjuvant therapyChemoradiotherapyRadiotherapyMeta-analysis
spellingShingle Gabriela Garcia Korczaguin
Gilberto Vaz Teixeira
Ashok Shaha
Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Adjuvant therapy
Chemoradiotherapy
Radiotherapy
Meta-analysis
title Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with adverse pathology a systematic review and meta analysis
topic Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Adjuvant therapy
Chemoradiotherapy
Radiotherapy
Meta-analysis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1808869424001319
work_keys_str_mv AT gabrielagarciakorczaguin postoperativeadjuvantchemoradiotherapyversuspostoperativeadjuvantradiotherapyforheadandnecksquamouscellcarcinomawithadversepathologyasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis
AT gilbertovazteixeira postoperativeadjuvantchemoradiotherapyversuspostoperativeadjuvantradiotherapyforheadandnecksquamouscellcarcinomawithadversepathologyasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis
AT ashokshaha postoperativeadjuvantchemoradiotherapyversuspostoperativeadjuvantradiotherapyforheadandnecksquamouscellcarcinomawithadversepathologyasystematicreviewandmetaanalysis