title: Current Role of Dacomitinib in Head and Neck Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has a dismal prognosis. With the emergence of monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), several drugs were developed and tested in HNSCC. To date, the monoclonal antibody cetuximab is the only approved therapy for curative and recurrent/metastatic patients. Other EGFR-targeting drugs either failed in the clinical trials or are still in the early phases of drug development and research.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this article, previously published data and ongoing studies regarding dacomitinib, a second-generation irreversible TKI, for the treatment of HNSCC are presented and discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current body of evidence is not mature enough to indicate the use of dacomitinib for the treatment of HNSCC in curative or in recurrent/metastatic settings. Phase II data suggest the potential of improved outcome in selected recurrent/metastatic HNSCC based on several biomarkers, which need to be evaluated in randomized phase III trials. Meanwhile, an ongoing phase I study is investigating dacomitinib's optimal dosing combined with and without cisplatin in the curative concomitant chemoradiotherapy setting.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital , Bern University Hospital and University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Olgun
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Elicin
authors.affiliation: b Department of Radiation Oncology , University of Lausanne, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) , Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozsahin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D052999:Quinazolinones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D052999:Quinazolinones; C525726:dacomitinib; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: Dacomitinib; epidermal growth factor; head and neck cancer; metastatic; radiotherapy; recurrent; squamous cell carcinoma; tyrosine kinase inhibitor