Response assessment after induction chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: From physical examination to modern imaging techniques and beyond

Remco de Bree, Gregory T Wolf, Bart de Keizer, Iain J Nixon, Dana M Hartl, Arlene A Forastiere, Missak Haigentz, Alessandra Rinaldo, Juan P. Rodrigo, Nabil F Saba, Carlos Suárez, Jan B Vermorken, Alfio Ferlito

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Significant correlations between the response to induction chemotherapy and success of subsequent radiotherapy have been reported and suggest that the response to induction chemotherapy is able to predict a response to radiotherapy. Therefore, induction chemotherapy may be used to tailor the treatment plan to the individual patient with head and neck cancer: following the planned subsequent (chemo)radiation schedule, planning a radiation dose boost, or reassessing the modality of treatment (eg, upfront surgery). Findings from reported trials suggest room for improvement in clinical response assessment after induction chemotherapy, but an optimal method has yet to be identified. Historically, indices of treatment efficacy in solid tumors have been based solely on systematic assessment of tumor size. However, functional imaging (eg, fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) potentially provides an earlier indication of response to treatment than conventional imaging techniques. More advanced imaging techniques are still in an exploratory phase and are not ready for use in clinical practice.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2329-2349
Number of pages21
JournalHead & neck
Volume39
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Keywords

  • head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
  • response assessment
  • fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)
  • induction chemotherapy

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