Head and neck cancers, the neglected malignancies: present and future treatment strategies

Figures & data

Table 1. List of drugs approved by FDA [2] for head and neck cancers, with their target/mechanism of action, efficacy and safety issues relevant to head and neck cancers.

Drug (generic name)	Target/mechanism of action	Efficacy for head and neck cancers	Safety issues relevant to head and neck cancers
Methotrexate	Inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase	Low	Ulcerative stomatistis, cognitive effects
Fluorouracil	Inhibition of thymidylate synthase	Low	Mucositis, dermatitis, CNS degeneration
Bleomycin	Inhibition of DNA synthesis	Low	Dermatographism, hyperpigmentation
Cetuximab	Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor	Moderate	Dizzines, anaphylactic shock
Cisplatin	Alkylating agent	Moderate	Neurotoxicity, ototoxicity
Docetaxel	Preventing microtubule depolymerisation	Low	Effect on neurosensory and neuromotor response

Drugs Approved for Head and Neck Cancer. Cancer Drug Information, National Cancer Institute at the National Institute of Health. Available from: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/druginfo/head-and-neck-cancer [Last accessed 11 December 2013]

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