Medical oncology in the management of head and neck cancers

Anatomic location, the proximity of vital structures, and the variety of tissues are significant factors in the types of head and neck cancers and their therapeutic management. Although there is a diverse group of head and neck cancers, such as adenocarcinomas and sarcomas of soft tissues and bone, nearly 95% of malignant neoplasms in this region are squamous cell carcinomas; these are the focus of head and neck oncology. Despite improvements in oncologic therapy in the United States, survival rates for head and neck cancers have improved by less than 10% in the past 30 years. 97