Systemic therapy strategies for head-neck carcinomas: Current status.

摘要: Head and neck cancers, most of which are squamous cell tumours, have an unsatisfactory prognosis despite intensive local treatment. This can be attributed, among other factors, to tumour recurrences inside or outside the treated area, metastases at more distal locations. These tumours therefore require not only standard surgical radiation treatments, but also effective systemic The main option here is antineoplastic chemotherapy, firmly established in palliative treatment recurrent metastatic stages disease, used with curative intent form combined simultaneous adjuvant chemoradiotherapy patients inoperable advanced stages. Neoadjuvant strategies for reduction before surgery yet gain acceptance. Induction chemotherapy protocols radiotherapy date been high risk distant as aid decision-making ("chemoselection") those extensive laryngeal prior definitive laryngectomy. Triple-combination induction therapy (taxanes, cisplatin, 5-fluorouraeil) shows remission rates significant toxicity and, combination (chemo-)radiotherapy, currently being compared current gold regards efficacy long-term toxicity. A further strategy, called 'targeted therapy', has developed help increase specificity reduce An example targeted therapy, EGFR-specific antibodies, settings radiotherapy, treat head cancers. series novel biologicals such signal cascade inhibitors, genetic agents, immunotherapies, evaluated large-scale clinical studies, could prove useful advanced, recurring When developing a lasting, individualised critical evaluation criteria acute (Iong-term) quality-of-life identification dedicated predictive biomarkers.