Current opinion in oncology
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Chemotherapy has become integrated into the treatment of head and neck cancer in not only the palliative but now also the primary setting. Organ preservation is possible using induction chemotherapy, and improved survival results have been confirmed for concomitant chemoradiotherapy. The taxanes, paclitaxel and docetaxel, appear to be as active as any other drugs in head and neck cancer. ⋯ Both paclitaxel and docetaxel are being extensively studied as radiosensitizers. They are relatively well tolerated and have good efficacy but have not yet been adequately studied in comparison with other regimens. In conclusion, the taxanes have significantly expanded our effective treatment options in both the primary and recurrent or metastatic settings.