The treatment of distant metastases in head and neck cancer--present and future. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • At the present time the occurrence of distant metastases in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma means that lifespan is measured in months. In most instances treatment is purely palliative. Isolated lung metastasis can be successfully removed with long-term disease control in selected patients. Radiotherapy can be useful for palliation of bone metastases and occasionally lung or brain metastases. Chemotherapy does not have a major impact at the present time except for the treatment of metastases from nasopharyngeal cancer. Palliative symptomatic care, along with appropriate pain control, is essential since pain management is very important in these patients. A significant change in the survival of patients with head and neck cancer is only likely to occur by the development of new approaches to treatment. Blocking tumor angiogenesis and treatment based on genetic abnormalities or cell surface receptors offer the two strategies that are most likely to be successful.

publication date

  • January 1, 2001

Research

keywords

  • Head and Neck Neoplasms

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0034946805

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1159/000055753

PubMed ID

  • 11408825

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 63

issue

  • 4