Current Clinical Trials

Standard treatment options:

1. Surgical resection if radiation therapy fails and if technically feasible.[1]



2. Radiation therapy, if not previously used in curative doses that preclude further treatment, if surgery fails.



3. Surgical salvage if technically feasible, when surgery fails.



4. Chemotherapy for metastatic disease.[2]

Treatment options under clinical evaluation:

• Clinical trials evaluating the use of chemotherapy should be considered.[3]

Posttreatment follow-up:

• These patients should have a careful head and neck examination, looking for recurrence monthly for the first posttreatment year, every 2 months for the second year, every 3 months the third year, and every 6 months thereafter.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent hypopharyngeal cancer. The list of clinical trials can be further narrowed by location, drug, intervention, and other criteria.

General information about clinical trials is also available from the NCI Web site.

References

1. Wong LY, Wei WI, Lam LK, et al.: Salvage of recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after primary curative surgery. Head Neck 25 (11): 953-9, 2003.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
2. Adelstein DJ, Tan EH, Lavertu P: Treatment of head and neck cancer: the role of chemotherapy. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 24 (2): 97-116, 1996.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   
3. Jacobs C, Lyman G, Velez-García E, et al.: A phase III randomized study comparing cisplatin and fluorouracil as single agents and in combination for advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. J Clin Oncol 10 (2): 257-63, 1992.  [PUBMED Abstract]
   
   

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