Biological therapies for head and neck cancer

There are several types of biological therapy that may be used to treat head and neck cancers. These include monoclonal antibodies and cancer growth inhibitors. Biological therapies are mainly given as part of cancer research trials|.

Monoclonal antibodies Back to top

Monoclonal antibodies| are drugs that recognise and attach to specific proteins (receptors) that are found in particular cancer cells or in the bloodstream.

Some cancer cells have receptors known as epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR). When growth factors attach to the receptor, the cancer cell is stimulated to grow and divide. The monoclonal antibody cetuximab (Erbitux®)| locks onto the EGFR and may prevent the cancer cell from growing and dividing. It may also make the cancer cells more sensitive to the effects of radiotherapy.

Cetuximab is sometimes used, in combination with radiotherapy|, to treat squamous-cell head and neck cancers that have begun to spread into surrounding tissues (locally-advanced cancer). It’s given as a drip (infusion) into a vein.

We have more information about cetuximab|.

Other monoclonal antibodies are also being used in trials.

Your doctor or nurse will be able to tell you more about any drugs that are being used in trials and if you are suitable for a trial.

Cancer growth inhibitors Back to top

In order to grow and divide, cancer cells ‘communicate’ with each other using chemical signals. Cancer growth inhibitors| interfere with this process and so affect the cancer’s ability to develop. Cancer growth inhibitors, such as gefitinib (Iressa®)|, have been used in trials to treat some types of head and neck cancer that have come back after initial treatment. It’s still not known how effective these drugs are because trial results are not yet available.