Expert review of anticancer therapy
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Expert Rev Anticancer Ther · Sep 2010
ReviewControversies and challenges in the current management of nasopharyngeal cancer.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is uncommon worldwide, but poses a significant public health burden in endemic regions. Primary treatment for nonmetastatic disease is by radiation therapy, which has evolved from simple 2D-planning techniques to intensity-modulated radiation therapy. The role of systemic therapy has also become more prominent, with concurrent cisplatin-based chemoradiation the current standard of care for locally advanced disease based on multiple Phase III studies. ⋯ Recent studies have focused on this challenge of treating micrometastases while keeping toxicities manageable. Radiation therapy techniques continue to be refined to maintain consistently high locoregional tumor control while decreasing the probability of acute and late toxicities. This article discusses some of the current issues confronting the multidisciplinary team managing this disease.