Abstract: PURPOSE:To evaluate the effect of TPF (docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil) induction chemotherapy on quality of life (QOL) in patients with locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-six primary OSCC patients in stage Ⅲ or ⅣA recruited from March 2008 to December 2010 were randomized into 2 groups, 128 in each group. The experimental group underwent TPF induction chemotherapy followed by radical surgery and postoperative radiotherapy, the control group underwent radical surgery and postoperative radiotherapy. The QOL was assessed using the questionnaire of EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-HN35. The data was analyzed using SAS 9.2 software package. RESULTS: Among 256 patients enrolled in this trial, 243 patients had at least one valid QOL form. There was no significant difference between the patients in the experimental group and control group on the global health status in the QLQ-C30 and the symptoms of pain, swallowing, sense, speech, eating, social contact, and sexuality in the QLQ-HN35 questionnaire. Although the symptom of mouth opening in the QLQ-HN35 was better in the control group than the experimental group at the third month after treatment, the final difference of mouth opening between the 2 groups was not significant (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of TPF induction chemotherapy has not significant effect on the QOL in patients with locally advanced OSCC when treated by radical surgery and postoperative radiotherapy.

Key words: Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81472519), Shanghai Talent Development Fund (201447), and Research Fund of Science and Technology Committee of Shanghai Municipality (13QH1401700).