Head and neck cancer—Part 2: Treatment and prognostic factors

• Published in: BMJ Vol. 341; no. 7775; pp. 721 - 725
• Main Authors: Mehanna, H, West, C M L, Nutting, C, Paleri, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England British Medical Journal Publishing Group 28.09.2010; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Anemia; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Cancer; Cancer therapies; Chemoradiotherapy; Chemotherapy; CLINICAL REVIEW; Clinical trials; Combined Modality Therapy - trends; Comorbidity; Forecasting; Growth factors; Head; Head & neck cancer; Head and neck neoplasms; Head and Neck Neoplasms - diagnosis; Head and Neck Neoplasms - therapy; Health outcomes; Health risk assessment; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Hypoxia; Laryngeal cancer; Larynx; Medical personnel; Medical prognosis; Meta-analysis; Neck; Neoplasia; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - therapy; Oncology; Patients; Prognosis; Quality of life; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Squamous cell carcinoma; Surgery; Tumors
• ISSN: 0959-8138; 1468-5833; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.c4690

SUMMARY POINTS The main prognostic factors are stage, site of disease, and comorbidities Treatment decisions should involve a multidisciplinary team of health professionals and the patient, and must balance efficacy and survival with potential functional and quality of life outcomes Early stage cancers are usually treated by either surgery or radiotherapy More advanced tumours usually require both surgery and chemoradiotherapy The disease and its treatments can cause substantial functional impairement and reduced quality of life Patients and their carets need considerable support during and after treatment