2023-07-26 14:13:46
According to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM), advances in immunotherapy and precision medicine have increased the survival rate against head and neck cancer, which today commemorates its World Day.
The Spanish Foundation for the Treatment of Head and Neck Tumors (TTCC) highlights that most of these tumors can be prevented
On the occasion of World Head and Neck Cancer Day, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology reports that this tumor is the seventh most diagnosed cancer in our environment and each year there are an estimated 12,500 new patients with ethis pathology in Spain.
This type of cancer groups all the malignant tumors located in the paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, oral cavity, tongue and salivary glands and represents approximately 5% of the total.
In addition, they are very stigmatizing tumors due to the physical sequelae of treatments with curative intent that apply.
According to SEOM estimates, this year will diagnose 7,779 new cases of cancer in the oral cavity and pharynx and about 3,335 cases in the larynx.
The middle Ages of appearance of these tumors is located above 50 years. Most of the diagnoses are male, although it is observed an increase in cases in women due to tobacco use.
In an informative note on the occasion of this World Day, the Spanish Foundation for the Treatment of Head and Neck Tumors (TTCC) highlights that a 98% of diagnosed cases of this type of cancer can be prevented.
external factors such as tobacco, alcohol or pollution they contribute negatively and make it difficult to prevent the disease.
Despite this, the advances that have been made in recent decades have allowed an increase in the survival rate against the disease.
Advances in the fight against head and neck cancer
As part of the communication campaign “In Oncology, each ADVANCE is written in capital letters” I’m here has made known the evolution and medical advances that have occurred in recent decades in the treatment of different tumors.
The incorporation of immunotherapy as standard treatment with chemotherapy and precision medicine have achieved, for the first time, the highest long-survival rate observed in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer.
From SEOM they affirm that maxillofacial and otorhinolaryngology surgery has evolved towards new techniques for the reconstruction of grafts and they highlight the appearance of the robotic surgery.
In radiotherapy, progress has been made in techniques capable of concentrating doses with less toxicity, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).
For his part, Dr. Ricard Mesía, Medical oncologist specializing in Head and Neck Cancer at the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) and president of the Spanish Foundation for the Treatment of Head and Neck Tumors (TTCC), warns that patients who develop a cervical tumor who do not have adequate gynecological follow-up have more risk of having a tumor in the oropharynx.
However, advances in this type of cancer are notable in surgery, radiotherapy and new treatments with immunotherapy, which stimulate the patient’s immune system so that their own defenses are the ones that eliminate the tumors.
“Surgeries are less aggressive, with transoral approaches that avoid interventions through the neck and scars, conformal radiotherapy affects the tumor much more and less in neighboring tissues, thus greatly reducing toxicity. And the continuous development of immunotherapy is being achieved, with new treatments, increasing survival”, sums up the doctor.
Risk factor’s
The doctor Ricard Messia explain what “tobacco and alcohol use They promote the appearance of certain tumors in the throat and in the larynx and hypopharynx.
Tobacco is the main cause of half of the tumors of the oropharynx, middle part of the pharynx. On the other hand, the human papilloma virus it is responsible for the other half of the tumors in this area. This is why vaccination of both men and women is so important.
Pollution also plays a fundamental role, since it has been shown that people who live in large cities have a higher risk of developing these tumors than those who live in rural areas.
Another key aspect is maintain good hygiene bucal, since carcinomas of the oral cavity (mouth cancer) are related to dental protrusionsa condition that involves the upper incisor teeth fitting far in front of the lower teeth.
As the expert explains, this condition can cause continuous friction and makes it necessary to file the tooth to avoid cancer in the oral cavity.
“You should go to the dentist at least once a year and, ideally, every six months,” recommends the oncologist.
Another of the doctor’s tips is to brush and floss daily to remove food fragments between teethwhich can cause inflammation of the gums.
According to the WHO, men consume five times more alcohol and tobacco than women. EFE/Hugo Ortuno
Multidisciplinary work, a fundamental task
The doctor Alex Sistiaga, Head of the Otorhinolaryngology Oncology section of the Donostia Hospital and Vice President of the TTCC Foundationhighlights that the work of a multidisciplinary team is key when it comes to caring for and curing the patient.
“Otolaryngologists are frequently the patient entrance door and we know the anatomy of the places where these tumors appear, but it is essential that there is a coordination for patient follow-up between the different head and neck specialists such as medical oncologists, radiotherapy oncologists, otolaryngologists or maxillofacial surgeons, among others”, says Dr. Sistiaga.
Sistiaga also advocates for educate the population to prevent cancer in view of the high risk factor that smoking implies.
“Our patients have non-specific symptoms that can be confused with other less worrisome ones, so a head and neck specialist should be seen in case of any alarm symptoms,” he says.
Another pillar that Sistiaga insists on promoting is research, especially in the search for biomarkers that help to know which patients will or will not respond to the treatmentsin order to reduce the number of annual diagnoses, and further increase the disease survival rate.
#Longer #survival #neck #cancer #patients