Advances in radiochemotherapy in the treatment of head and neck cancer

Abstract

New advances are being incorporated into the radiochemotherapy treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Although the overall prognosis is poor in advanced stages, the possibility of incorporating combined protocols of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for organ preservation or for palliation in cases of recurrent/locally advanced stages that are not good surgical candidates must not be forgotten. In this context, there is an urgent need to incorporate quality of life questionnaires and functional evaluation into organ-preservation studies, as well as to assure the importance of surgical salvage after radiotherapy and chemotherapy protocols. The authors provide an extensive review of the advances occurring in the nonsurgical treatment of head and neck cancer. Special attention is given to different radiotherapy protocols, new chemotherapy combinations, molecular markers, and molecular therapy as well as the possibility of incorporating re-irradiation and adjuvant therapy after surgery.

The Association between Malnutrition and Psychological Distress in Patients with Advanced Head-and-Neck Cancer

“…Nearly all the patients had advanced cancers, which is also typical, given that the diagnosis is generally made after the disease has substantially progressed 32 . The proportion of patients with malnutrition (61%) was also comparable to that found in a recently published study (62%) 33 .…”

The association between CBS 844ins68 polymorphism and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma risk – a case-control analysis

“…The majority of HNSCC patients showed less advanced stage classified as T1/T2 and N0 (54.3% and 96%, respectively) in our study. Different of the literature data, which have shown a high frequency of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in advanced stage (60% in stage III and IV) [ 46 ]. However, in gastric and cardiac cancer category tumour size T1 and T2 was more prevalent, as in our study in HNSCC [ 20 ].…”

Síndrome da anorexia-caquexia em portadores de câncer

“…A diminuição no consumo alimentar e o aumento da perda de peso que ocorrem na SAC são atribuídos a inúmeros fatores 64 , sejam eles efeitos locais do tumor, como obstruções e sintomas GI, ou anorexia decorrente de causas não mecânicas, como desequilíbrios de neuropeptídios e citocinas 34,60,66,72 . A baixa ingestão pode ocorrer, ainda, por reações adversas do tratamento radical do câncer, como náuseas e vômitos decorrentes da QT, que diminuem o apetite 20,26,41,50,57,58,59,60,66,67,72,84,86,101 , as mucosites e enterites em função da RT e as mutilações das cirurgias 66,102 .…”