Dr. Vokes on Different Settings in Head and Neck Cancer

Everett Vokes, MD, John E. Ultmann professor of Medicine and Radiation Oncology, physician-in-chief, University of Chicago Medical Center, chair, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, discusses different settings of patients with head and neck cancer.

There are traditionally 2 kinds of settings in head and neck cancer, explains Vokes. There are those with recurrent disease and those who were previously untreated with locoregionally advanced disease.

In both of these settings it is important to consider current treatments as well as new drugs that could benefit the patient, says Vokes. For example, in recurrent disease, if a patient is unable to receive salvage surgery or salvage radiation, physicians must look to systemic surgery.