The following is a summary of “Pre-treatment risk factors to predict early cisplatin-related nephrotoxicity in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with chemoradiation: A single Institution experience,” published in the November 2023 issue of Oncology by Cavalieri, et al.

Patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) who were treated with cisplatin in a curative context concomitant with radiotherapy were the subjects of this retrospective research. For a study, researchers sought to evaluate the risk variables that might predict early cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, a critical dose-limiting factor.

A total of 350 individuals with LA-HNSCC were examined, and among them, 204 were found to have had any grade of acute kidney damage (AKI), with grade I being the most common. 84.4% of individuals who were diagnosed with AKI were given high-dose cisplatin (100 mg/m2 every 21 days). AKI was shown to have relationships with several variables, including male sex, age, serum uric acid, creatinine, concurrent medications, and cisplatin schedule, according to information obtained using univariate logistic regression. In the multivariable model, significant relationships were found between age, baseline creatinine, concurrent medications, and the cisplatin schedule (one-day bolus or fractionated high-dose vs weekly).

A more precise management strategy may be implemented in cases where cisplatin is crucial, according to the research findings, which implies that identifying pre-treatment risk factors in patients with LA-HNSCC can help with decision-making about therapy. Strict monitoring of acute kidney injury (AKI) has the potential to minimize unneeded cisplatin dosage modifications, interruptions, and treatment delays, hence minimizing the adverse effects on outcomes.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1368837523002750