title: Advances in chemotherapy for head and neck cancer.
abstract: Systemic chemotherapy is increasingly being used with radiotherapy for the radical treatment of advanced head and neck cancers. Chemotherapy offers modest benefits in the metastatic setting. Platinum containing agents are the most active drugs and form the mainstay of most chemotherapy schedules. In recent years taxanes have been shown activity in head and neck cancers and are being incorporated into neo-adjuvant and concomitant chemotherapy regimens. Targeted agents EGFR inhibitors like cetuximab, in particular have shown benefit in the metastatic and the concomitant setting. EGFR inhibitors and other targeted agents form the thrust of pre-clinical and clinical research into systemic treatment of head and neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Bhide
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Nutting
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000639:trends; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents