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Tractable tumors

Head and neck cancer

Head and neck neoplasms, most of which squamous cell carcinomas, are tumors whose incidence has been increasing in recent years. The main risk factors are the habits of consuming alcohol and smoking. Many cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck district are also associated with Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection.

The treatment strategy for tumors of the head and neck area certainly depends on the site of origin, the stage of cancer and the patient's general health conditions.

Where possible, surgery is a therapeutic weapon that must be considered, associated if necessary, with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In metastatic or inoperable diseases, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the only options that have so far been available for the treatment of patients, with often unsatisfactory results and a high frequency of side effects. Recently positive results have been reported in metastatic disease treated with immunotherapy, opening up new treatment opportunities for these patients.

Future perspectives: Numerous studies on immunotherapy drugs are currently underway in cervical-facial neoplasms, aiming at assessing the activity of new drugs and combination strategies with chemotherapy or radiotherapy in the different phases of the disease.