Management of patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation or chemoradiation therapy: from prevention to monitoring

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Abstract

Radiation therapy is a widely used treatment for head and neck cancer, used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or surgery. Despite its effectiveness, radiation therapy is often associated with undesirable side effects. Some oral complications develop soon after the start of treatment, while others may appear months or even years after completion of therapy. This article presents integrated approaches to managing patients with head and neck tumors that improve treatment outcomes and patient quality of life. Integrative, symptom-based approaches may improve patient outcomes; however, data on their use and impact in real-world clinical practice are still limited.

This article presents preventive and therapeutic measures and provides treatment recommendations.

About the authors

Sevil B. Alieva

N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Cancer Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Author for correspondence.
Email: drsevil@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6835-5567
Russian Federation, 115478 Moscow, Kashirskoe shosse, 24

Marina V. Chernykh

N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Cancer Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: drsevil@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-4944-4035
Russian Federation, 115478 Moscow, Kashirskoe shosse, 24

Igor A. Zaderenko

N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Cancer Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: drsevil@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0183-4827
Russian Federation, 115478 Moscow, Kashirskoe shosse, 24

Ruslan R. Kaledin

N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Cancer Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: drsevil@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8983-4500
Russian Federation, 115478 Moscow, Kashirskoe shosse, 24

Dmitriy I. Fedoseenko

N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Cancer Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: drsevil@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5231-9927
Russian Federation, 115478 Moscow, Kashirskoe shosse, 24

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