A phase I study of cabazitaxel in combination with platinum and 5-fluorouracil (PF) in locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (LA-SCCHN).

Background: There is a clinical need to improve outcomes for patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (LA-SCCHN), especially in Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) negative and HPV positive subtypes with a significant history of tobacco use. In animal models bearing SCCHN, Cabazitaxel showed an excellent response rate compared to docetaxel and might prove useful in treatment of patients. The primary objective of this study was to determine the dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of cabazitaxel when combined with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PF) in induction chemotherapy (IC) for patients with SCCHN.

Neoadjuvant Therapy in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer.

. Invasion of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) into surrounding structures can lead to morbid procedures such as laryngectomy and tracheal resection. In these patients, there is a potential role for neoadjuvant therapy.

Endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors in recurrent metastatic cancer of the head and neck.

Targeted therapy has become an important new class of therapeutic agents used in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Among them epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have been studied the most. Today, two classes of EGFR inhibitors are routinely used in the clinic; anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors of the EGFR tyrosine kinase activity.

The role of HPV status in recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Although the prognostic role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in locoregionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is well established, its prognostic and/or predictive role in recurrent/metastatic settings remains to be defined. Despite epidemic growth of HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma, a low recurrence rate in HPV-positive patients results in a small number of patients entering clinical trials for recurrent and/or metastatic SCCHN. The consequent lack of statistical power and also significant data contamination by misclassification of HPV-positive patients leads to premature study conclusions.

Organ preservation for adenoid cystic carcinoma of the larynx.

Objectives: Two cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the larynx were treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for organ preservation. We reviewed case series and current literature to contrast the potential role of primary CRT as an organ-sparing modality with standard laryngectomy and radiotherapy in patients with laryngeal ACC.

Methods: Two treatment-naïve patients with laryngeal ACC treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute between 2002 and 2007 were identified.