Interdisciplinary Approach in Head and Neck Cancers

Head and neck cancers, as well as the therapies used to treat them, may result in considerable and long-term disabilities that decrease the patients’ quality of life. Thus, application of the most appropriate treatment for any patient who is diagnosed with these types of cancers is crucial and could improve the survival rate along with the quality of life. Significant advancements in cancer management have been accomplished in the past 10 years. The complexity of patient care has risen as a result of growing specialization within disciplines and more advanced treatment procedures. As a result, the interdisciplinary management of patients has grown increasingly. We are getting closer to tackling the head and neck cancers through the application of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches including surgery, radiotherapy, and medical therapy which itself constitutes chemotherapy, cell therapy, and immunotherapy. These therapeutic advancements were provided by enormous breakthroughs in cancer biology in the recent decades. Targeted therapy techniques have been introduced in an effort to promote outcomes in head and neck cancers. These techniques concentrate on the molecular biology of these types of cancers in an attempt to target specific carcinogenesis pathways. Some of the novel techniques include concentrating on particular proteins or signal transduction pathways to inhibit tumor development and metastasis, as well as targeting the tumor microenvironment or vasculature. Also, targeted therapy can also be used in conjunction with other conventional cancer treatments. The purpose of this chapter is to describe current understanding of the head and neck cancers’ pathophysiology and also to describe interdisciplinary approaches for managing these patients.