Throughout the world, head and neck cancer is a major threat to public health and a significant challenge to both clinicians and basic scientists. Despite extensive efforts in primary prevention, screening, early detection, and therapy, long-term survival rates have not improved substantially in the last three decades. This book covers a wide range of exciting new findings in both clinical and basic sciences as they are relevant to head and neck cancer. These findings have recently enhanced our understanding of head and neck carcinogenesis at the genetic and molecular levels, offering the promise of improved preventive and therapeutic strategies. This book will also present information on the important clinical advances that have been made in chemoprevention, organ preservation, and the simultaneous use of chemo therapy and radiotherapy. The first part provides an overview of the etiology and biology of head and neck cancer, including an examination of human papillomaviruses in both benign and malignant lesions. This section also discusses the carcinogenic process at the genetic and molecular levels, as well as aberrant squamous differentiation; increased understanding of these areas has great potential to translate into new strategies for cancer prevention. The second part describes recent advances in developing a risk model for head and neck cancer, as well as the application of genetic susceptibility data in chemoprevention. This section also includes overviews of the status of chemoprevention trials and of the process of invasion and metastasis in head and neck cancer.

Inhalt

1. Role of Human Papillomaviruses in Benign and Malignant Lesions.- 2. Molecular Phenotyping of Head and Neck Cancer.- 3. Squamous Differentiation and Retinoids.- 4. Risk Factors and Genetic Susceptibility.- 5. Biology and Reversal of Aerodigestive Tract Carcinogenesis.- 6. Mechanisms of Invasion by Head and Neck Cancers.- 7. Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Radioresistance.- 8. Early Detection and Screening for Head and Neck Cancer.- 9. Photodynamic Therapy for Cancer of the Head and Neck.- 10. Timing and Sequencing of Chemoradiotherapy.- 11. Organ Preservation in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer.- 12. Elective Modified Neck Dissection for Treatment of the Clinically Negative (N0) Neck.- 13. Distant Metastases from Head and Neck Squamous Cancer: The Role of Adjuvant Chemotherapy.- 14. Experimental Therapeutic Approaches for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer.- 15. Head and Neck Cancer: The Year 2000.