New drug therapy for squamous carcinoma of the head and neck.

The identification of new active agents for the treatment of squamous carcinoma of the head and neck remains a high priority for clinical investigators. For the past several years a number of investigational drugs have demonstrated activity in patients with recurrent or metastatic disease. Included are the following agents: gemcitabine, vinorelbine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, and ifosfamide. Further studies are underway to investigate the role of these agents in combination regimens. Randomized phase III trials comparing promising new regimens to standard therapy with methotrexate or cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil will be necessary.