Abstract
SummaryAt the annual ASCO meeting clinically relevant data concerning the management of advanced head and neck cancer that will influence clinical practice in the future were presented.Chemoradiation with high-dose cisplatin remains the mainstay of treatment for patients with locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer. Adjuvant therapy with afatinib following chemoradiation failed to show clinical benefit. The combination of bevacizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy improved progression-free survival but did not lead to a significant difference in overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone. However, the addition of immunotherapy may improve multimodal treatment concepts in locally advanced disease and new treatment combinations might overcome resistance to checkpoint inhibition.
Highlights
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) belongs to one of the most common tumor types worldwide and accounts for more than 550,000 new cases and 380,000 deaths per year [1]
The data presented at the ASCO annual meeting 2017 in the field of head and neck cancer are encouraging and will influence clinical practice in upcoming years
Chemoradiation with cisplatin every 3 weeks remains the standard of care in eligible patients with locally advanced SCCHN
Summary
Received: 3 August 2017 / Accepted: 26 September 2017 / Published online: 20 October 2017. Summary At the annual ASCO meeting clinically relevant data concerning the management of advanced head and neck cancer that will influence clinical practice in the future were presented. Chemoradiation with high-dose cisplatin remains the mainstay of treatment for patients with locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer. Adjuvant therapy with afatinib following chemoradiation failed to show clinical benefit. The combination of bevacizumab with platinum-based chemotherapy improved progression-free survival but did not lead to a significant difference in overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone. The addition of immunotherapy may improve multimodal treatment concepts in locally advanced disease and new treatment combinations might overcome resistance to checkpoint inhibition. Melchardt Salzburg Cancer Research Institute, Salzburg, Austria
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