Safe and effective combination chemotherapy for squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck

THE use of anti-tumour drugs in the treatment of head and neck cancers has traditionally been reserved for those cases who have failed to respond or recurred following standard treatment with radiotherapy and surgery. This understandable reluctance to use chemotherapy except as a last resort derives from the mistaken belief that drug therapy is automatically associated with severe toxicity. This presentation describes a safe and effective method of administering combination chemotherapy which can be used to complement the traditional approach.