title: Targeted therapies for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: current knowledge and future directions.
abstract: Despite progress in the therapeutic management of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), the mortality rate of patients presenting with advanced disease remains high. One approach to improve treatment efficacy is to add novel molecular targeted agents to the classical treatment regimens. Monoclonal antibodies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have shown clinical benefits in palliative and curative settings. However, only a minority of patients presenting with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) SCCHN have meaningful tumor regression with these agents and virtually all who do develop acquired tumor resistance after a few months of treatment. For these reasons, other inhibitors of EGFR or molecules that interfere with known molecular pathways activated in SCCHN are of considerable interest, either as single agents or in combination with other treatment modalities. In this review, we discuss the different molecular therapeutic approaches explored in SCCHN. We also briefly outline new trial designs that could be used to accelerate the investigation of emerging therapeutic agents in this disease.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology and Head and Neck Surgery, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc and Institut de Recherche Clinique et Expérimentale (Pole MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: Sandra.schmitz@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: kianang@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Kie Kian
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.affiliation: Antwerp University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium. Electronic address: jan.b.vermorken@uza.be.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vermorken
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Head and Neck Oncology Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: robert_haddad@dfci.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias Oviedo, Celestino Villamil SN, 33006 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. Electronic address: csuarezn@hcas.sespa.es.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Electronic address: gregwolf@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Gregory T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology and Head and Neck Surgery, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc and Institut de Recherche Clinique et Expérimentale (Pole MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: marc.hamoir@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamoir
authors.affiliation: Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology and Head and Neck Surgery, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc and Institut de Recherche Clinique et Expérimentale (Pole MIRO), Université Catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. Electronic address: jean-pascal.machiels@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Jean-Pascal
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Machiels
mesh_terms: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: Head & neck cancer; Molecular biology; Squamous cell carcinoma; Targeted therapies; Treatment