title: Molecularly targeted therapies in head and neck cancers.
abstract: Head and neck cancers (HNC) are 6th most common malignancies according to the incidence rate. Over 85% of tumors of this region are epithelial tumors, especially squamous cell carcinomas (head and neck squamous cell carcinomas - HNSCC). Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are still the standard for the treatment of HNC. Despite the great development of the various methods of treatment, survival of patients have not improved significantly over the last 30 years, with the overall, 5-year survival not exceeding 50%. Progress in understanding the biology of cancer leads to personalization of therapy and introduction of drugs with molecular mechanism of action to everyday practice. At present, the effectiveness of monoclonal antibodies against EGFR in the treatment of HNSCC has already been proven. Cetuximab in combination with radiotherapy was found to be effective in patients with advanced and locally advanced HNSCC. There are also some promising results of phase III trials with zalutumumab and panitumumab. Initial efficacy of sorafenib (an inhibitor of the intracellular domain of VEGFR, PDGFR and c-Kit) and afatinib (an irreversible inhibitor of pan-HER tyrosine kinase) have been demonstrated. Great hopes for the future are linked with the potential use of STAT3, EGFRvIII, abnormal proteins K-ras, H-ras and PTEN as well as proteasome as a target for therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery Medical University of Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sawicki
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szudy
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szczyrek
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krawczyk
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klatka
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D000077544:Panitumumab; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000077544:Panitumumab; D066246:ErbB Receptors