Head and Neck Cancer Backgrounder

01.05.2012

Head and neck cancer is the term used to describe malignant tumours originating in the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT), including the oral cavity, larynx, pharynx and nasopharynx. The vast majority (90%) of Head and Neck cancers are Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCC) arising from the epithelial membranes (mucus linings) of these regions¹, and as such they have many common features relating to their aetiology and classification.

Each year approximately 560,000 cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed worldwide, and 300,000 patients die annually.² Incidence rates are more than twice as high in men than in women.³

Recently, targeted therapies in combination with radiotherapy,⁴ have shown promise in improving the currently available treatment options in the locally advanced setting. In advanced (metastatic) or recurrent head and neck cancers, a recent study showed that targeted therapy in combination with chemotherapy is more effective than chemotherapy alone.

Read the backgrounder above for more in-depth information.

1. Viviana P. Lutzky. D. J et al. 2008. Biomarkers for Cancers of the Head and Neck. Clinical Medicine: Ear, Nose and Throat, 1,5-15.
2. Boyle P et al. World Cancer Report 2008. International Agency for Research on Cancer.
3. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2007 [Online]. Available at: http://www. Cancer. Org/downloads/STT/CancerFacts&FiguresTM.pdf [Last accessed April 2010].
4. Bonner J.A. Harai P.M. Giralt J et al. 2006. Radiotherapy plus cetuximab for squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck. New England Journal of Medicine, pp.354-378.