Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2006 Jun 10;24(17):2644-52.
doi: 10.1200/JCO.2005.05.3348.

Chemotherapy options for patients with metastatic or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

A Dimitrios Colevas  1
Affiliations
Review

Chemotherapy options for patients with metastatic or recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

A Dimitrios Colevas. J Clin Oncol. .

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to provide readers with guidance concerning treatment of patients with advanced, recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) in the context of clinical trial data. We discuss issues surrounding the treatment of patients with SCCHN, with an emphasis on recommendations based on results from phase II and III clinical trials published since 1980. Many options exist for the treatment of patients with SCCHN. The most important decisions involve determining which patients are in need of treatment and which are most likely to benefit from treatment. Although many chemotherapy treatments have been shown to induce responses, survival improvement remains an unfulfilled goal. Definitive data do not exist on the effects of chemotherapy on quality of life or progression-free survival as measures of clinical benefit in this setting. Performance status, history of prior treatment, extent of tumor, and need for palliation are the most important factors in the decision to treat a patient with chemotherapy for incurable SCCHN. Single-agent treatment with conventional doses of methotrexate remains a standard for most patients with advanced, recurrent or metastatic SCCHN. Cisplatin plus fluorouracil, cisplatin plus a taxane, and single-agent taxane are the most widely studied alternatives. There is a need for further trials with end points other than overall survival or tumor response in this patient population. Guidelines for patient selection and treatment options are provided.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources