Paul M. Harari, MD

A series of promising new advances have emerged in H&N oncology in recent years. Among these are the advancement of highly conformal radiation delivery techniques (e.g. IMRT, protons); the successful introduction of molecular targeted therapies (e.g. cetuximab); the recognition of HPV as a powerful prognostic biomarker; and the development of minimally invasive surgical techniques. The application of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in H&N cancer is reviewed by Bhayani et al in this issue of ONCOLOGY[1].

Since initial characterization over 40 years ago, strong preclinical and clinical data have clearly established the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as a worthy molecular target for intervention in cancer therapy. The receptor is expressed, overexpressed, or mutated in many human tumors, including head and neck, colorectal, pancreatic, non-small-cell lung, ovarian, esophageal, gastric, breast, prostate, bladder, and renal cancers. Experiments in several model systems have confirmed that EGFR signaling is involved in regulating several key biologic processes, including cell proliferation, epithelial development, organogenesis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and differentiation. Furthermore, EGFR function has been shown to be altered and/or dysregulated in a variety of spontaneous tumors.