Managing Recurrent Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

Hira Shaikh; Vidhya Karivedu; Trisha M Wise-Draper

doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2021.05.009

Managing Recurrent Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2021 Oct;35(5):1009-1020. doi: 10.1016/j.hoc.2021.05.009. Epub 2021 Jul 2.

Authors

Hira Shaikh¹, Vidhya Karivedu², Trisha M Wise-Draper³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Cincinnati, 3125 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0562, USA.
² Division of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University, 1335 Lincoln Tower, 1800 Cannon Drive, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
³ Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Cincinnati, 3125 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0562, USA. Electronic address: wiseth@ucmail.uc.edu.

PMID: 34226077
DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2021.05.009

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treatment is often associated with high morbidity especially in the recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) setting, limiting effective treatment options. Local disease control is important. Therefore, local therapies including reirradiation and salvage surgery, either alone or in combination with systemic treatment, may be used for selected patients with R/M HNSCC. Although chemotherapy and targeted agents have modest efficacy in HNSCC, the advent of immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment paradigm of R/M HNSCC. Multiple trials have resulted in the past 5 years advocating for its use alone or in combination with chemotherapy.

Keywords: Chemotherapy; Head and neck cancer; Immunotherapy; Metastatic; Recurrent; Systemic therapy; Targeted therapy.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Head and Neck Neoplasms* / therapy
Humans
Immunotherapy
Neoplasm Recurrence, Local* / therapy
Salvage Therapy
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / therapy