Dr. Siegel on Results of Chemotherapy and Transoral Surgery Study for Head and Neck Cancer

Robert Siegel, MD, chair, professor of medicine, director, Division of Hematology/Oncology, George Washington University, discusses a phase II study investigating induction chemotherapy and transoral surgery for patients with head and neck cancer.

After 3 doses of chemotherapy, the cancer was able shrink to almost nothing, allowing the surgeon to remove the remaining tumor. At the time of surgery, most patients had no sign of cancer in the primary site.

The radiation was only used if there was not a good response, if there were many lymph nodes at the time of surgery, or if there was a relapse, explains Siegel.