Efficacy of Prophylactic Treatment With Antibiotics During Concomitant Chemoradiotherapy in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer to Prevent Aspiration Pneumonia

Overview

Patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer treated with chemo-radiotherapy have (during and shortly after this treatment) a high risk of developing pneumonia by aspiration. This pneumonia is often associated with a hospital admission and affects the quality of life. The purpose of the study, is to determine whether prophylactic antibiotics may decrease the development of pneumonia. Prophylactic antibiotics means that there are no signs of pneumonia are already

Concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is used in locally advanced head and neck cancer (LAHNC). It will be administered to patients for unresectable disease or for organ preservation as primary treatment. Furthermore, it can be used as postoperative treatment in case high risk recurrent disease is present. This treatment induces a high rate of acute toxicity, such as mucositis, dermatitis, dysphagia, anorexia, and pain. Swallowing dysfunction and aspiration are seen in a high proportion (30%-100%) of patients and with an immense impact on Quality of life (QoL). Around half of the patients will develop an aspiration pneumonia during or shortly after the treatment. Patients, who develop fever during concomitant chemoradiotherapy, are most of the time admitted in the hospital. In the differential diagnosis pneumonia is on the first place in all those patients. The standard diagnostic procedures consist of a chest X-ray and culture of the sputum and blood. Pneumonia can lead to mortality in this frail patient group. The treatment of patients treated with chemoradiotherapy who develop fever and have a definite or suspected pneumonia, is administration of antibiotics, most frequently intravenous amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. LAHNC patients who are smoking and/or with malnutrition are at the highest risk of getting a pneumonia during or after radiotherapy. Because smoking is one of the risk factors of developing head and neck cancer chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently present in this group. Also, COPD is a known risk factor for developing pneumonias. Aspiration is seen in all primary sites of head and neck cancer, sometimes it is seen more frequently in patients with cancer of the larynx and hypopharynx. No data of prophylactic administration of antibiotics are available in LAHNC patients. However, a Cochrane review was published to assess the effects of prophylactic antibiotic regimens for the prevention of respiratory tract infections(RTIs) and overall mortality in adults receiving intensive care.