About Head and Neck Cancer Update
In 2006, approximately 40,000 new cases of head and neck cancer were diagnosed in the United States, with over 11,000 people dying from the disease. Clinical management of head and neck cancer has become increasingly complex with the advent of multiple combined-modality therapeutic programs. Additionally, the number of distinct sites of disease and associated individualized treatment algorithms presents a challenge to community oncologists and multidisciplinary teams. Although standards for lower-risk resectable disease are defined in existing guidelines, recent clinical trials have spawned considerable debate regarding the optimal management of higher-risk resectable, unresectable and recurrent or metastatic disease, including the optimal dose and fractionization of radiation therapy, the role and choice of induction chemotherapy and postoperative chemotherapy and the concurrent and sequential use of the newer biologic agents.
To ensure that medical oncologists are well versed in the nuances of multidisciplinary management of this disease, in 2007 Dr Neil Love and Research To Practice launched Head and Neck Cancer Update (HNCU). This series provides ongoing access to the latest research developments and expert perspectives on innovative clinical protocols and up-to-date management strategies for head and neck cancer. HNCU is intended to be a valuable, relevant and important CME resource for the clinicians that encounter this often challenging disease.
