© 2005 European Society for Medical Oncology
Articles |
Redefining state of the art in head and neck cancer
Institut Gustave Roussy, 39 Rue Camille Desmoulins, Villejuif 94805, France
* Correspondence to: Dr J. Bourhis, Institut Gustave Roussy, 39 Rue Camille Desmoulins, Villejuif 94805, France. Tel: +33 1 4211 4998; Fax: +33 1 4211 5281. E-mail: bourhis@igr.fr
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Head and neck cancers account for around 6% of cancers worldwide and present us with a number of treatment problems. Although treatment is often effective in early stage disease, a substantial proportion of patients present with advanced disease. Optimal disease management is hindered by the existence at presentation of co-morbidities and by the relatively high rate of second primary tumour development. When disease is locally advanced but still resectable, surgery is often mutilating and can deprive patients of basic functions, such as normal speech. Both radiotherapy and chemotherapy are associated with substantial toxicity, and the most common acute side effect is mucositis. Mucositis and difficulty with swallowing are particularly problematic and are