AUTHOR=Pannunzio Sergio , Di Bello Armando , Occhipinti Denis , Scala Alessandro , Messina Gloria , Valente Giustina , Quirino Michela , Di Salvatore Mariantonietta , Tortora Giampaolo , Cassano Alessandra TITLE=Multimodality treatment in recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck: current therapy, challenges, and future perspectives JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2023.1288695 DOI=10.3389/fonc.2023.1288695 ISSN=2234-943X ABSTRACT=

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is a complex group of diseases that presents a challenge to the clinician. The prognosis in the recurrent/metastatic disease is particularly dismal, with a median survival of approximately 12 months. Recently, the personalized and multimodal approach has increased prognosis by integrating locoregional strategies (salvage surgery and stereotactic radiotherapy) and systemic treatments (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and target therapy). Malnutrition is a significant clinical problem that interferes with dose intensity, and thus, feeding supplementation is critical not only to increase the quality of life but also to improve overall survival. With this review, we want to emphasize the importance of the multidisciplinary approach, quality of life, and nutritional supportive care and to integrate the latest updates of predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy and future therapeutic strategies.