title: A review on the treatment of relapsed/metastatic head and neck cancer.
abstract: The efficacy of traditional chemotherapy in inducing objective responses and prolonging survival in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer has been disappointing. More recent drugs have not proven superior to the classic regimen of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. Anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies, either as single agents or associated to chemotherapy, have been shown to be active and little toxic. Among them, cetuximab has proven to be the most promising. Indeed the Extreme study, which compared the classic couple cisplatin (CDDP) + 5-fluorouracil with the same regimen plus cetuximab, has constituted a remarkable innovation. The results of that trial seem to indicate a third agent added to CDDP and 5-fluorouracil improved both progression-free survival and overall survival in the recurrent or metastatic setting. Unfortunately, the results obtained with the tyrosine kinase inhibitors are less impressive, and additional studies are needed to explore the potentiality of this class of drug. As far as antiangiogenetics are concerned, the research is insufficient for any conclusion to be drawn in terms of efficacy. It is hoped that, in the near future, the most active combination between biological agents and traditional chemotherapy will be found, so that the path successfully taken in other neoplastic diseases may be retraced.
authors.affiliation: San Paolo Hospital, Department of Oncology, via Di Rudini 8, 20142, Milan, Italy. daris.ferrari@ao-sanpaolo.it
authors.forename: Daris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Codecà
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luciani
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Foa
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors