Gene therapy for head and neck cancers.
Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck has not significantly improved over the past 30 years. Locally recurrent or refractory disease is particularly difficult to treat. Repeat surgical resection and/or radiotherapy are often not possible, and long-term results for salvage chemotherapy are poor. Recent advances in gene therapy have been applied to recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Many of these techniques are now in clinical trials and have shown some efficacy. This article discusses the techniques employed in gene therapy and summarizes the ongoing protocols that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials.
Lamont
J P
JP
Department of Surgery, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. ToddMc@BaylorDallas
Kuhn
J A
JA
Nemunaitis
J J
JJ
McCarty
T M
TM
D000256:Adenoviridae; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000628:therapy; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics
D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53