PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - DE FELICE, FRANCESCA
AU  - FALLARINO, ALESSIA
AU  - IAFRATE, FRANCO
AU  - MAIURI, VERONICA
AU  - GALLONI, GIOVANNI
AU  - COLONNA, GIOVANNI TURRIZIANI
AU  - DE PIETRO, RAFFAELLA
AU  - CHIARELLO, GIUSEPPINA
AU  - MARCHETTI, CLAUDIA
AU  - BULZONETTI, NADIA
AU  - MUSIO, DANIELA
AU  - TOMBOLINI, VINCENZO
TI  - The INCH Trial – Induction Chemotherapy in Patients With Bulky Anal Canal Cancer: Evaluation of the Pilot Phase
AID  - 10.21873/anticanres.15105
DP  - 2021 Jun 01
TA  - Anticancer Research
PG  - 3187--3191
VI  - 41
IP  - 6
4099  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/41/6/3187.short
4100  - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/41/6/3187.full
SO  - Anticancer Res2021 Jun 01; 41
AB  - Aim: To assess feasibility, complications and efficacy of induction chemotherapy followed by standard chemoradiotherapy in patients with bulky anal canal cancer. Patients and Methods: Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal, staged bulky tumor with or without nodal involvement were prospectively enrolled. Before standard chemoradiotherapy, patients received induction chemotherapy with 3 cycles of 75 mg/m2 cisplatin and 750 mg/m2 5-fluorouracil. Patients were followed-up routinely until recurrence or death. Results: Seven patients with bulky anal canal cancer were evaluable for this pilot phase of the study. All patients had human papillomavirus-negative disease. Five completed the scheduled induction chemotherapy and all patients completed the programmed concomitant chemoradiotherapy. None had severe hematological toxicity. The majority of patients (6/7) had tumor downsizing after induction treatment. Six months after chemoradiotherapy, complete response was documented in three patients and salvage surgery was performed in two cases. With a median follow-up of 38 months (range=28-48 months), two patients are disease-free survivors. Conclusion: Induction chemotherapy has the potential to become a standard approach in patients with bulky human papillomavirus-negative anal canal cancer.