Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Intramucosal Inoculation of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells in Mice for Tumor Immune Profiling and Treatment Response Assessment
Published on: April 22, 2019
Concurrent chemoradiotherapy in older adults with squamous cell head & neck cancer: Evidence and management
Vivek Verma1, Apar Kishor Ganti2
1Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Objective:
Treatment for head and neck cancers incurs substantial associated morbidities, which can be of potentially greater significance in older patients. Though the geriatric population forms a substantial portion of patients with head and neck cancers, this group remains underrepresented in large clinical trials. Hence, management for this unique subpopulation remains empiric and mostly based on data from younger patients.
Materials And Methods:
Review of key publications on geriatric patients treated for head and neck cancers.
Conclusions:
We discuss data regarding chemoradiation for head and neck cancers, as well as management of associated side effects in this population. We encourage oncologists to treat older patients not as a homogeneous subpopulation, but rather assess several factors associated with potential tolerance to chemoradiotherapy. Aggressive supportive treatments for chemoradiotherapy toxicities are highly encouraged in this population, and with new technical/technological developments, there is potential to continually reduce toxicity in this cohort in the future.
Related Concept Videos
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists
Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Treatment Resistent Cancers
Treatment Resistant Cancers
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Cancer Therapies

