The kinetics of local drug uptake and metabolism of the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been monitored by means of 19F nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 17 patients with neck tumors during concurrent radiochemotherapy. All of the patients underwent an accelerated hyperfractionated, concomitant-boost radiochemotherapy with 5-FU[600 or 1000 mg/m2 of body surface (b.s.)] and carboplatin (70 mg/m2 of b.s.).

EXCLUSIONS:Prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy to the head and neck region.Neutropenia, absolute neutrophil count < 1.5 x 109/L. Thrombocytopenia, platelet count < 100 x 109/L. Renal insufficiency with creatinine > 120 mmol/L or Creatinine clearance £ 50 mL/min.Bilirubin > 1.5 x upper limit of normal

Carboplatin is a cisplatin derivative and shares the same mechanism of action.  Highly  reactive platinum complexes are formed intracellularly.  These complexes inhibit DNA  synthesis through covalent binding of DNA molecules to form intrastrand and interstrand DNA  ross-links.  Carboplatin is considered to be cell cycle phase-nonspecific, but recent studies  have shown complex and variable effects on the cell cycle.
  

CNS  tumors  account  for  at  least  20%  of  all  childhood malignancies  and  are  the  second  most  common  after leukemia  (Cokgor et al., 1998; Lowis et al., 1998; Stiller and Nectoux, 1994). Only 2% to 10% of these  tumors are intramedullary  spinal  cord  tumors  (Allen  et  al.,  1998; Bouffet et al., 1997; Chun et al., 1990; Constantini et al., 1996;  Lowis  et  al.,  1998;  Nadkarni  and  Rekate,  1999; Rossitch  et  al.,  1990;  Stiller  and  Nectoux,  1994).

Radiation therapy (RT) alone cures approximately 10% and 25% of patients with locally advanced and medically unresectable non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), respectively.1-5 The addition of equential 5-10 or concurrent chemotherapy11,12 with de?nitive RT modestly improves survival. Concurrent chemotherapy appears more ef?cacious than sequential therapy.13,14 High-dose 6,15-20 and/or intensi?ed/shortened21, 22 RT programs have been proposed.