Perspectives in Head and Neck Medical Oncology
January 2018
in “
Cancer treatment and research
”
TLDR The document concludes that systemic therapy is becoming more important in treating head and neck cancer, with new treatments showing promise.
The document from 2018 provides an overview of the treatment landscape for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), emphasizing the effectiveness of cisplatin combined with radiation therapy and the alternative use of cetuximab for patients intolerant to cisplatin. It notes the unclear benefit of induction chemotherapy over standard chemoradiation and the potential of immunotherapy as a second-line treatment. The prognosis for recurrent and metastatic HNSCC remains poor, with a median overall survival of 6-9 months. The document also discusses the side effects of various treatments, stressing the importance of managing toxicities and supportive care. Clinical trials indicate that organ preservation is possible in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal SCC, with concurrent chemoradiotherapy being superior to induction chemotherapy alone. The addition of chemotherapy to adjuvant radiation benefits patients with certain risk factors, and immunotherapy shows promise for platinum-refractory cases. The document concludes that systemic therapy is increasingly important in HNSCC treatment, with ongoing advancements in systemic agents.
