Biological approaches to treatment of head and neck cancer.
There are few options for the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Chemotherapy in such patients is not associated with survival improvement. However, recent reports suggest that approaches involving biological therapy may provide some benefits. The most promising therapeutics, currently in phase III investigation, involve p53 gene replacement with adenoviral vectors and tumour lysis with tumour-specific oncolytic viruses (ONYX-015). Improved understanding of cancer immunology appears to be opening doors through targeting tumour antigens and upregulation of co-stimulatory molecules with the use of gene therapy. Cellular therapy trials and other approaches involving antiangiogenic factors, superoxide dismutase and the thymidine kinase gene in SCCHN remain preliminary.
US Oncology, Dallas, Texas 75246, USA. John.Nemunaitis@USOncology.com
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