Cancer Therapy Advisor has updated its treatment regimen chart for the treatment of head and neck cancer to reflect the most recent changes put forth by Version 1.2016 of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines for Head and Neck Cancers.

Key updates from Version 1.2015 include:

  • For the treatment of squamous cell cancers, cisplatin as postoperative therapy with radiation is now a Category 1 recommendation for high-risk non-oropharyngeal cancers.
  • The section titled “Recurrent, Unresectable, or Metastatic (incurable)” has been changed to “Recurrent, Unresectable, or Metastatic (with no surgery or RT option).”
  • For the treatment of patients with recurrent, unresectable, or metastatic non-nasopharyngeal head and neck cancers who cannot receive surgery or radiotherapy, second-line afatinib was added as a single-agent option with a Category 2B recommendation and the following reference: Machiels JP, Haddad RI, Fayette J, et al. Afatinib versus methotrexate as second-line treatment in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck progressing on or after platinum-based therapy (LUX-Head & Neck 1): an open-label, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2015;16:583-594.                  

Reference

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  1. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Head and Neck Cancer. V 1.2016. NCCN website. https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/head-and-neck.pdf. Updated May 6, 2016. Accessed August 29, 2016.

Topics:

Head and Neck Cancer