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Emerging insights into head and neck cancer metastasis
Author(s) -
Allen Clint T.,
Law Jonathan H.,
Dunn Gavin P.,
Uppaluri Ravindra
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.23202
Subject(s) - medicine , head and neck cancer , metastasis , head and neck , cancer , distant metastasis , oncology , surgery
The purpose of this review was to provide biological concepts of head and neck cancer metastasis. To attain this goal, we analyzed peer‐reviewed articles related to head and neck cancer metastasis obtained though PubMed and archived articles. Articles related to the biologic principles of head and neck cancer metastasis were reviewed and summarized. As locoregional control has improved for patients with head and neck cancer, rates of distant metastasis have not decreased. As patients live longer, many will die of complications related to the development of disease at sites below the clavicles. Emerging evidence now suggests a more complicated framework of metastatic behavior for head and neck cancer. Here, we review the role of regional lymph nodes in containing advanced head and neck cancer, evidence for active as opposed to passive tumor cell metastasis, and clinical implications these concepts have on both treatment of head and neck cancer and future research. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck , 35 : 1669–1678, 2013