Abstract
Approximately 475,000 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN) of the head and neck occur worldwide. Whereas significant advances have been made in the treatment of early and locally advanced disease, the prognosis for recurrent and metastatic (R/M) disease remains poor. Compounds with demonstrated activity include cisplatin and carboplatin, antimicrotubular compounds such as taxanes and vinorelbine, and fluoropyrimidines. In refractory and metastatic disease, regimens combining platinum agents with taxanes or fluorouracil based agents produce a 30% response rate and a median overall survival of six to eight months. Newer three agent chemotherapy regimens have produced response rates in the range of 40-50%, without significant improvements in overall survival noted. Recently, a new class of medications targeting signal transduction pathways has come into focus in the treatment of various malignancies. In SCCHN, given the high prevalence of expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its role in promoting cellular growth and proliferation, molecules targeting the receptors intracellular kinase domain are a logical strategy. The agents gefitinib and erlotinib have yielded response rates in the 5-15% range when used as single agents. In addition, newer agents with broad activity against the EGFR and other related erbB receptor family members are being developed in clinical trials. Strategies to enhance the activity of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in treating SCCHN are being investigated, as well as strategies to select individuals with tumors more likely to respond to these drugs. This article reviews the advances that have made in treating refractory and metastatic disease, with particular focus on the challenges that are faced in successfully translating EGFR inhibition as a paradigm of tumor treatment in SCCHN.
Keywords: Head and neck cancer, epidermal growth factor receptor, protein kinase inhibitors, quinazolines, chemotherapy, metastases
Current Cancer Drug Targets
Title: Treatment of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck in the Metastatic and Refractory Settings: Advances in Chemotherapy and the Emergence of Small Molecule Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Kinase Inhibitors
Volume: 7 Issue: 7
Author(s): Syed M. Ahmed and Ezra E.W. Cohen
Affiliation:
Keywords: Head and neck cancer, epidermal growth factor receptor, protein kinase inhibitors, quinazolines, chemotherapy, metastases
Abstract: Approximately 475,000 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCCHN) of the head and neck occur worldwide. Whereas significant advances have been made in the treatment of early and locally advanced disease, the prognosis for recurrent and metastatic (R/M) disease remains poor. Compounds with demonstrated activity include cisplatin and carboplatin, antimicrotubular compounds such as taxanes and vinorelbine, and fluoropyrimidines. In refractory and metastatic disease, regimens combining platinum agents with taxanes or fluorouracil based agents produce a 30% response rate and a median overall survival of six to eight months. Newer three agent chemotherapy regimens have produced response rates in the range of 40-50%, without significant improvements in overall survival noted. Recently, a new class of medications targeting signal transduction pathways has come into focus in the treatment of various malignancies. In SCCHN, given the high prevalence of expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its role in promoting cellular growth and proliferation, molecules targeting the receptors intracellular kinase domain are a logical strategy. The agents gefitinib and erlotinib have yielded response rates in the 5-15% range when used as single agents. In addition, newer agents with broad activity against the EGFR and other related erbB receptor family members are being developed in clinical trials. Strategies to enhance the activity of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in treating SCCHN are being investigated, as well as strategies to select individuals with tumors more likely to respond to these drugs. This article reviews the advances that have made in treating refractory and metastatic disease, with particular focus on the challenges that are faced in successfully translating EGFR inhibition as a paradigm of tumor treatment in SCCHN.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Ahmed M. Syed and Cohen E.W. Ezra, Treatment of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck in the Metastatic and Refractory Settings: Advances in Chemotherapy and the Emergence of Small Molecule Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Kinase Inhibitors, Current Cancer Drug Targets 2007; 7 (7) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800907782418293
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156800907782418293 |
Print ISSN 1568-0096 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-5576 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Advances in Cancer Biomarkers and Potential Drug Targets: From Diagnosis to Therapy
Cancer biomarkers play a crucial role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. They provide valuable information for cancer detection, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring response to therapy. With advancements in molecular biology and high-throughput technologies, there has been an increasing interest in identifying and characterizing cancer biomarkers ...read more
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Target Drug Resistant Tumors
With the development of disciplines such as chemical biology and molecular biology, the genes or proteins closely related to tumor occurrence and development have gradually become clear. Targeted therapies targeting these genes or proteins provide more effective methods for tumor treatment. Tumor targeted drugs generally only act on specific targets ...read more
ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENOTOXIC RESPONSE BIOMARKERS IN TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT IN CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Biological biomarkers have been used in medical research as an indicator of a normal or abnormal process inside the body, or of a disease. Nowadays, various researchers are in process to explore and investigate the biological markers for the early assessment of cancer. DNA Damage response (DDR) pathways and immune ...read more
Targeting the battlefield between host and tumor: basic research and clinical practice on reshaping tumor immune microenvironment
Immune system protects host against malignant tumors through effector cells and molecules. Cancer development and its response to therapy are regulated by inflammation, which either promotes or suppresses cancer progression. Chronic inflammation facilitates cancer progression and treatment resistance, whereas induction of acute inflammatory reactions often lead to anti-cancer immune responses. ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
Related Articles
-
The Endocannabinoid System in the Cancer Therapy: An Overview
Current Medicinal Chemistry Perspectives on Medicinal Properties of Benzoquinone Compounds
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Targeting of Adhesion Molecules as a Therapeutic Strategy in Multiple Myeloma
Current Cancer Drug Targets IL-13: A Promising Therapeutic Target for Bronchial Asthma
Current Medicinal Chemistry Histone Modifier Differentially Regulates Gene Expression and Unravels Survival Role of MicroRNA-494 in Jurkat Leukemia
MicroRNA Small Molecule Aurora Kinases Inhibitors
Current Medicinal Chemistry Erythropoietin: New Approaches to Improved Molecular Designs and Therapeutic Alternatives
Current Pharmaceutical Design Gene Therapy in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Current Gene Therapy A Family of Pleiotropically Acting MicroRNAs in Cancer Progression, miR-200: Potential Cancer Therapeutic Targets
Current Pharmaceutical Design Notch Inhibitors as a New Tool in the War on Cancer: A Pathway to Watch
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Emerging Roles of P2X Receptors in Cancer
Current Medicinal Chemistry Turning Tumor-Promoting Copper into an Anti-Cancer Weapon via High-Throughput Chemistry
Current Medicinal Chemistry Recent Developments in Nanoparticle Based Targeted Delivery of Chemotherapeutics
Current Bioactive Compounds Novel Marine-Derived Anti-Cancer Agents
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Synergistic Effect of Humanized Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF-1R) and Chemotherapy
Current Drug Targets Withdrawal Notice: The Prognostic Value of Prognostic Biomarkers in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Iranian Population
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Potassium Channels are a New Target Field in Anticancer Drug Design
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Pharmacokinetics of CNT-based Drug Delivery Systems
Current Drug Metabolism Evaluation of Adhesion Force and Binding Affinity of Phytohemagglutinin Erythroagglutinating to EGF Receptor on Human Lung Cancer Cells
Current Medicinal Chemistry Hybrid Benzoxazole-Coumarin Compounds Induce Death Receptor-Mediated Switchable Apoptotic and Necroptotic Cell Death on HN-5 Head and Neck Cancer Cell Line
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry