Definitive chemoradiotherapy for squamous head and neck cancer: cisplatin versus carboplatin? A meta-analysis

Aim: Concomitant chemoradiotherapy (with cisplatin or carboplatin) is an option of definitive treatment for squamous head and neck cancer. We aimed to perform a metaanalysis comparing those two platinum agents. Materials & methods: We carried out a systematic search on English literature between 1990 and 17 April 2015 according to the Cochrane review guidelines. Results: Five of 60 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria with 491 patients. There was no difference in response rate. Cisplatin tends to be more active systemically than carboplatin, without statistically significance5-year survival rate: 30 and 27%, respectively (p = 0.33). Conclusion: Despite the trend to improved outcomes in using cisplatin, carboplatin is also active and can be a reasonable option to treat patients.AmgenBristol-Meyers SquibRochePfizerMSDLillyAstra ZenecaSanofiPierre FabreUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Div Med Oncol, Sao Paulo, BrazilJohns Hopkins Singapore, Singapore, SingaporeHCor, Oncoclin Brazil, Sao Paulo, BrazilUniv Porto, Abel Salazar Biomed Inst, Dept Populat Studies, Oporto, PortugalUniv Porto, Dept Med, Fac Med, Oporto, PortugalUniv Algarve, Dept Biomed Sci & Med, Div Oncol, Campus Gambelas,Edificio 7,3 Andar, P-8005139 Faro, PortugalHosp Haroldo Juacaba, Clin Res Ctr, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilCeara Canc Inst, Ctr Oncol Sao Mateus, Dept Med Oncol, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilDivision of Medical Oncology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc