The Changing Role of Surgery in Contemporary Head and Neck Oncology

The Changing Role of Surgery in Contemporary Head and Neck Oncology

Surgery has been considered the historic mainstay of therapy for patients with advanced squamous cancer of the head and neck. This approach has been modified with the recognition that combining chemotherapy with irradiation therapy is effective in controlling cancer in some patients with advanced disease. The enthusiasm for nonoperative intervention with CRT has resulted in worldwide recognition of the fact that treatment-related toxicity associated with chemoradiation can be severe in over 40% of patients.