Targeted Therapy in Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Carcinoma

This review article is trying to high light the current evidence to support the use of targeted therapy for the best management practices for patients with recurrent and/ or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Platinum based chemotherapy is the cornerstone of palliation for patients with R/M HNSCC .Platinum doublets induce higher response rates at the cost of toxicity, but do not demonstrate a survival advantage.EGFR inhibitors, including monoclonal antibodies and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, have achieved only modest success in R/M HNSCC.Immunotherapy represents an attractive treatment strategy for R/M HNSCC, with promising preliminary results.Despite therapeutic advances, prognosis remains poor for patients with R/M HNSCC, illustrating the importance of identifying predictive biomarkers and finding ways to overcome mechanisms of resistance.