Squamous cancer of the head and neck: surgical treatment of local and regional recurrence.

Many patients with local and regional recurrences of head and neck squamous cancer will benefit from surgical treatment. Curing a patient with salvage surgery is often possible, especially when the tumor was originally treated with radiation therapy alone. Aggressive surgical treatment is warranted when there is a significant chance for cure or durable palliation, and many patients will benefit from supportive care. The decision to withhold surgery should be adopted only by physicians and surgeons who are intimately familiar with head and neck cancer care.