title: The treatment of distant metastases in head and neck cancer--present and future.
abstract: At the present time the occurrence of distant metastases in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma means that lifespan is measured in months. In most instances treatment is purely palliative. Isolated lung metastasis can be successfully removed with long-term disease control in selected patients. Radiotherapy can be useful for palliation of bone metastases and occasionally lung or brain metastases. Chemotherapy does not have a major impact at the present time except for the treatment of metastases from nasopharyngeal cancer. Palliative symptomatic care, along with appropriate pain control, is essential since pain management is very important in these patients. A significant change in the survival of patients with head and neck cancer is only likely to occur by the development of new approaches to treatment. Blocking tumor angiogenesis and treatment based on genetic abnormalities or cell surface receptors offer the two strategies that are most likely to be successful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK. JGrahamBuckley@compuserve.com
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferlito
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Shaha
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rinaldo
mesh_terms: D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000639:trends; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011788:Quality of Life