Chemoradiotherapy and molecular targeted therapy - options and perspective of treatment of patients with squamous cell head and neck cancer

Abstract

Results of treatment with surgery and/or radiotherapy for locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer are still unsatisfactory. During last decade concomitant chemoradiotherapy became a new standard in this group of patients. Concomitant chemoradiation in comparison to radiotherapy produce singificant benefit of survival and also is valuable as an organ preservation treatment. However, acute and late toxicity of this method is high and real therapeutic gain is obtained by limited group of patients. Intensive clinical investigations on novel therapeutic strategies are in progress. The first direction of trials is combination of induction chemotherapy and concomitant chemoradiotherapy. The second very attractive strategy is using molecular targeted therapy with radiation alone or chemoradiotherapy. Results of recent clinical trials and perspective of novel treatment strategies were discussed.