ABSTRACT
Head and neck cancer constitutes the fifth highest cause of cancer in Spain. It is a neoplasm with a high possibility of cure if it is diagnosed in early stages, but unfortunately two thirds of the patients are diagnosed at an advanced loco-regional stage (stage III and IV, without metastasis). The multidisciplinary team, bringing together all professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors make the decision to establish the best sequence of individualized diagnosis, staging and treatment for each patient. This guide gives recommendations for diagnosis, staging and treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. In order to simplify the amount of information about any subsite of the head and neck area, the treatment recommendations are summarized as local disease, locally advance resectable and unresectable stages, function-preserving laryngeal treatment and recurrent and metastatic disease.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/therapy , Head and Neck Neoplasms/therapy , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Algorithms , Humans , Medical Oncology/methods , Medical Oncology/trends , Societies, Medical , SpainABSTRACT
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is an unusual tumour in Spain. It has differences in epidemiology, histology, clinical behaviour, treatment and prognosis from those of other head and neck neoplasms, which justifies separate analysis. It is a neoplasm with a high possibility of cure with a combined treatment if even it is diagnosed in an advanced locoregional stage (stage III or IV, without metastasis). The multidisciplinary team, bringing together all professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors make the decision to establish the best sequence of individualized diagnosis, staging and treatment for each patient. This guide gives recommendations for diagnosis, staging and treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The treatment recommendations are summarized as local disease, locally advance and recurrent and metastatic disease.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma/therapy , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/therapy , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Algorithms , Humans , Medical Oncology/methods , Medical Oncology/trends , Societies, Medical , SpainABSTRACT
Treatment of anaemia is a very important aspect in the management of cancer patients. In order to carry out a consensus process about the use of erythropoietic stimulating agents (ESAs) in cancer patients, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) elaborated a working group which coordinated a panel of medical oncology specialists. This working group has reviewed the main issues about the use of ESAs. In addition a consensus meeting was held in Madrid on 25 April 2007. The following conclusions were made: Since ESA treatment increases the haemoglobin (Hb) level and decreases the red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirements, ESAs should be used within the approved indications in patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment, beginning at a Hb level below 11 g/dl and maintaining it around 12 g/dl, with iron supplements if necessary. Neither increasing the ESA dose in nonresponders nor the use of ESAs in the treatment of chronic cancer-related anaemia is recommended.