It was not too many years ago that the role of chemotherapy for head and neck cancer consisted of single-agent methotrexate for selected patients with recurrent disease. In the past decade, multiple new agents, high-dose chemotherapy, combinations, and intra-arterial approaches have been used for the patient with recurrent disease. Wheeler critically assesses the current status of these approaches. When oncologists began testing chemotherapy in the combined modality approach, trials consisted of induction chemotherapy and use of single agents as radiosensitizers. Although a great deal has...
It was not too many years ago that the role of chemotherapy for head and neck cancer consisted of single-agent methotrexate for selected patients with...
Cancers of the head and neck are among the most morbid of cancers. Convention- al surgery and/or radiation therapy have a high cure rate for patients with early stage disease. However, despite optimal treatment with surgery and radiotherapy, patients with nodal spread or extensive local disease have a low cure rate. Even if a cancer is cured, a patient is often left with long-term debilities from the treatment and/or cancer. The major causes for decreased survival in patients with advanced head and neck cancer include local recurrence, distant metastases, and second primaries. All of these...
Cancers of the head and neck are among the most morbid of cancers. Convention- al surgery and/or radiation therapy have a high cure rate for patients ...