Approximately 550,000 patients are diagnosed yearly with head and neck cancer, with 300,000 deaths worldwide. The ratio of males to females varies from 2:1 to 4:1. About 90% of all head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) originating from squamous cells. HNSCC is also the sixth leading cancer worldwide. With such a high incidence and mortality rate, it becomes essential to prevent cancer by choosing an appropriate treatment regimen.
This article mainly focuses on medication for head and neck cancer. Early stages of head and neck cancers are highly curable if diagnosed earlier and can be cured with surgery or radiation therapy. For later stages, chemotherapy is the most recommended option. Other therapies include immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Adverse medication-related outcomes in head and neck cancer include: Acute and late toxicities Health-related quality of…
