Smart Drugs Against Head and Neck Cancers

Although COVID-19 is at the top of our agenda nowadays, cancer diseases are among the issues that we should care about and attach importance to.

There is an increase in head and neck cancers, as is the case with many types of cancer. Making a statement on the occasion of February 4, Cancer Day, Anadolu Medical Center Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Serdar Turhal pointed out that head and neck cancers are mostly seen in men and said, “Symptoms of head and neck cancers may vary according to the region where the tumor is affected. For example, mouth sores in mouth cancers and swallowing difficulties in nasal cancers can occur. Again, depending on the region, hoarseness, shortness of breath, mass in the neck, tongue movement restrictions, speech impairments or nosebleeds

can watch. In the treatment of head and neck cancers, treatments are determined according to the cell type, or more recently, the molecular genetic characteristics of the cancer. "Good results can be obtained, especially with modern approaches such as smart drugs and immunotherapy."

Underlining that head and neck cancers are a general name given to cancers of many organs, Anadolu Medical Center Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Serdar Turhal said, “These cancers, which are increasing in frequency, include the oral cavity (tongue, lip, gum, cheek, palate), oropharynx (tongue root, mouth floor, tonsil), larynx (larynx), nasopharynx (nasal passage) and hypopharynx (pharynx). ) regions. Generally, the most known reason is the use of tobacco products, ”he said. Saying that head and neck cancers affect many organs and bring along aesthetic concerns, especially in the face area, Prof. Dr. Serdar Turhal said, "Today, thanks to multidisciplinary approaches and modern treatments, good results are obtained in these cancers".

Laryngeal cancer is the most common

According to the figures, the most common cancer among head and neck cancers in men is laryngeal cancer and this region cancer is in the 10th place among the top 9 cancers, Medical Oncology Specialist Prof. Dr. Serdar Turhal said, “It is possible to encounter more oral cancers in developed western countries. If we collect head and neck cancers in four main groups, we can list them as follows: Nasal cancers starting from the mouth to the throat, cancers from the nostrils to the sinuses, cancers with vocal cords and cancers occurring in the lower part of this region we call the larynx.

Treatment is planned according to the cell type and the genetic characteristics of the cancer.

Saying that the treatment of head and neck cancers is determined according to the cell type or more recently, the molecular genetic characteristics of the cancer, Prof. Dr. Serdar Turhal said, “After performing an ear nose throat examination in the multidisciplinary treatment of the disease, endoscopic evaluations are also performed to examine suspicious areas. At this stage, the diagnosis stage is completed with the necessary biopsies. In treatment; Surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiotherapy methods are used ”.

On the Ministry of Health website, where cancer statistics for 2016 are shared, lung cancer in men is close to 100.000 per 60, while prostate cancer is the second with 35, colon cancer is the third with 25 and bladder 21. They are followed by stomach cancer with 14. In women, breast cancer is close to 46, followed by thyroid cancer with 23, colon cancer with 14, and uterine and lung cancer with 10.

Immunotherapy can be applied in combination with radiotherapy.

With the completion of the human genome project in 2013, cancer genome studies also gained momentum. Stating that, thanks to molecular genetic tests that determine the proliferation pathways of cancer, nowadays, smart drug and immunotherapy treatments block the proliferation path of tumor cells and often get good results in cancer treatment. Dr. Serdar Turhal said, “Another important development is the combined application of immunotherapy with radiotherapy in the treatment of head and neck cancers. "The results of the early researches of this application are successful and advanced studies are continuing."

Stating that immunotherapy has less side effects compared to chemotherapy and that the treatment can be continued as long as it is effective in many patients, Prof. Dr. Serdar Turhal said that immunotherapy is separated from chemotherapy treatments that can be applied for a limited time in this respect.