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Current issues in head and neck cancer

Current issues highlight some of the latest research into head and neck cancer, new therapies becoming available and new drug treatments coming to the market.

Comparison of standard radiotherapy and concurrent Cis-platinum with the radiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer

In a recently reported trial from the USA Head and Neck Intergroup, there was an advantage in survival from adding concurrent cis-platinum chemotherapy to the standard radiotherapy prescription, in...

Very accelerated radiotherapy in head and neck cancer

A French group from Paris and Nancy have recently reported that accelerating radiotherapy (i.e. getting through a course in less time) and specifically giving 6000 cGy to 6400cGy in three weeks gave...

Weekly Cisplatinum adds to standard radiotherapy in the cure rates in Nasopharynx Carcinoma

A recent trial reported from Hong Kong (where the incidence of nasopharynx carcinoma is very high) has demonstrated that the addition of weekly cis-platinum chemotherapy, during the conventionally...

Second tumours in head and neck cancer patients and the use of retinoids for prevention

Epidemiological studies from the USA suggest that the chance of a second cancer after one squamous head and neck cancer has been diagnosed (a risk that has been known to be high for many years), is...

Positron emission tomography (pet) scannining in the staging and assessment of cure in head and neck cancer

PET is a new form of functional scanning (looking at the metabolic activity in a body area – which is high in viable cancer and low in normal background tissues that are not affected by cancer...

Amifostine protects salivation in irradiated head and neck cancer patients

The thiol compound amifostine has been demonstrated to reduce the incidence of dry mouth when used during the radiotherapy course of patient undergoing radiotherapy that encompasses the salivary...

Cancer of the pharynx and radiotherapy

Dr. B Cummings (Princess Margaret Hopital, Toronto) reported, at the recent American Society of Therapeutic Radiology meeting, a study of hyperfractionated radiation therapy (twice daily radiotherapy)...

Osi-774 therapy in advanced squamous head and neck cancer

A phase two trial of OSI-774, a selective orally active EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) tyrosine kinase antagonist, in recurrent (after first therapy) squamous cell carcinoma of the head and...