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Head and Neck Cancers

Evolving Strategies for Combined-Modality Therapy for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

Head and Neck Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Key Words. Head and neck cancer • Induction therapy • Sequential therapy • Combined modality • Treatment • SCCHN

Correspondence: Marshall Posner, M.D., Head and Neck Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, 44 Binney Street, SW430, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. Telephone: 617-632-3090; Fax: 617-632-4448; e-mail: marshall_posner{at}dfci.harvard.edu

Received January 13, 2006; accepted for publication May 15, 2007.

Despite continual advances in the treatment of head and neck cancer, disease-free survival, functional outcome, toxicity of therapy, and overall survival remain less than optimal. While traditional treatment has focused on surgical resection with or without radiation and chemoradiotherapy, newer combined-modality regimens may offer patients a better prognosis, organ preservation, and less morbidity. In this paper, single agents and doublet therapy are reviewed, as are emerging data on the utility of induction therapy, chemoradiotherapy, and surgery as a sequential treatment regimen.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.

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