Adjunctive Therapy in Oral Cancer

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the third most common cancer in Indian subcontinent affecting people with lower socioeconomic status. Due to inadequate screening facilities and lack of awareness among individuals most of the oral cancer cases are detected at an advanced stage. As early stage oral squamous cell carcinoma patients can be treated with single modality treatment (surgery or radical radiotherapy), multimodality regimen (surgery followed by concurrent chemoradiation) is adopted for high risk advanced stage cancers with multiple adverse features like extra nodal extension, lymphovascular invasion and perineural spread. The chapter outlines the principles of adjunctive therapy in oral cancer patients with special reference to different techniques, indications of radiotherapy and role of chemotherapeutic regimes in improving the overall survival of advanced stage oral cancer patients.

Combination Therapy as a Promising Way to Fight Oral Cancer

“…Despite various therapeutic options being available, only small improvements in the survival rate of patients with advanced disease have been reported, and, thus, new therapies and/or improvements of the current therapies are needed. [ [30][31][32] Chemotherapy -Suitable to treat tumors that have spread and cannot be treated with surgery or radiation therapy alone; -Cost of 2-year follow-up (only treatment): USD 3277 ± 2822.…”