Taxanes in the treatment of head and neck cancer

Purpose of review This review presents new data on the role of paclitaxel and docetaxel in the management of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Recently both agents have been tested in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents, targeted drugs, and radiotherapy in in-vitro experiments and in the clinic as first-line treatment of patients with metastatic/recurrent and locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Recent findings The combination of taxanes with standard or accelerated radiotherapy is feasible and induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation is active and feasible without excessive toxicity in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The use of low-dose fractionated radiotherapy shows promising in-vitro and clinical results and is further explored. Summary Both docetaxel and paclitaxel can be combined with chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy, but phase III studies are needed to prove the superiority of these approaches compared to standard treatment. The final results of the combination study of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil with or without docetaxel may change the standard chemotherapeutic regimen for induction chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.