Head and Neck Cancer

Home » Head and Neck Cancer » Treatment and Clinical Trials

Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Cancer
(Free Handout)

Treatment and Clinical Trials

Head and neck cancer is often complex, with many different sites and staging systems. However, current therapy offers several alternatives, including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, either alone or in combination.

Combined modality therapy is becoming the principal method of treating patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers. Meanwhile, researchers are actively investigating new treatments such as gene therapy. Newer chemotherapy agents (e.g., paclitaxel [Taxol®], docetaxel [Taxotere®], gemcitabine [Gemzar®], doxorubicin [Doxil®]) may be combined with established chemotherapeutic agents (e.g., methotrexate [Trexall®, Methotrex®]) to improve results.

In March 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cetuximab (Erbitux®), in combination with radiation, for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that cannot be treated surgically. Cetuximab also may be used alone (called monotherapy) in patients with head and neck cancer that has spread (metastasized) following standard chemotherapy.

Side effects of cetuximab include the following:

• Fatigue
• Infusion reactions (e.g., fever, chills)
• Malaise
• Nausea
• Skin rash

Radiation may cause difficulty swallowing, mouth sores, and skin reactions (e.g., redness, itching, burning).

Patients also may want to explore the possibility of participating in a clinical trial. Clinical trials may offer cutting-edge therapy and also provide oncologists, surgeons, and radiation oncologists the opportunity to further refine and improve treatment options. Physician can determine if a patient is eligible for a clinical trial.

© 1998-2008 Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Head and Neck Cancer Resources

	Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Cancer The more knowledge you have, the easier it is to make decisions about your cancer treatment. Print this free handout to take with you on your next office visit.	Advertising Disclaimer
	Join Our Head and Neck Cancer Forum Do you have a question, want to share medical advice, or just need to discuss your situation with someone else having a similar experience? The healthchannels forum is a resource for everyone to share and discuss their health and medical needs with others.
	Living with...Share your story Do you have a personal health story that you would like to share with others? As a source of free patient education, our goal is to provide our users with trustworthy information and support from others. That's why we've started our "Living with..." sections.
	Our "Living With..." support pages are a place to share experiences about living with a certain condition, disease, disorder, or illness and for loved ones of those dealing with health-related issues. Many people, especially when newly diagnosed, find comfort in knowing that others are having a similar experience. Help others by sharing your story. View stories already submitted. In honor of National Cancer Survivors Day on June 1, 2008, we asked you to share your stories about surviving cancer. Read the inspiring stories we received or share your survival story and help others in the fight against cancer.
To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download Healthcommunities.com's healthchannels toolbar. Advertising Disclaimer