Onkologie. 2011:5(5):305-306

Cetuximab in treating locally advanced head and neck tumours

Tomáš Pokrivčák

Masarykův onkologický ústav, Brno

Head and neck tumours are the fourth most common cancer among men in Europe. The highest incidence is in the Mediterranean countries.

The incidence rate of oropharyngeal cancer in the Czech Republic is 0.91/100 000 inhabitants with a mortality rate of 0.65/100 000

inhabitants; the most prevalent clinical stage of the tumour is clinical stage IV (58.9%). In palatine cancer, the incidence rate is 0.34/100

000 inhabitants with a mortality rate of 0.15/100 000 inhabitants. The most prevalent clinical stage is also clinical stage IV (26.7%). Women

are significantly less affected than men, with the ratio of women to men being 4:1 in the Czech Republic. In terms of risk factors, smoking

and alcohol consumption play a crucial role. The mean age of patients ranges from 50 to 60 years of age. The case reports present a patient

with oropharyngeal cancer and another patient with cancer of the soft and hard palate and cancer of the palatine tonsil. In both cases,

there were advanced local findings without distant metastases in “typical” male patients with a long-term alcohol and tobacco abuse.

Keywords: cetuximab, moderately-differentiated spinocellular carcinoma, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

Published: November 1, 2011  Show citation