In this month's issue of The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, two articles have been selected from the field of head and neck carcinoma for further discussion.
Chu et al have identified the 100 most cited papers in head and neck cancer from 1970 to 2016.Reference Chu, Kwok and Chan1 Overall 32 of these were randomised trials and 19 basic science papers. The majority of the studies focused on the treatment of head and neck cancer and the relationship between HPV and head and neck cancer, with 45 and 16 papers focusing on these areas, respectively. The most cited article was published by Bonner et al comparing the use of radiotherapy alone with radiotherapy plus cetuximab for the treatment of loco-regionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.Reference Bonner, Harari, Giralt, Azarnia, Shin and Cohen2 Several other articles on the top 100 list also involved cetuximab as part of their studies. It is highly likely that research relating to the basic science, genetics, aetiological factors, and treatment of head and neck cancer will continue to advance our understanding and management of this disease.Reference Iqbal, Wilkinson, Tin, Bossi, Gradwell-Nelson and Kovarik3
Adams et al in their retrospective series of 209 patients determined an incidence of second primary lung carcinomas following a diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma of 1.6 per cent per year (8 per cent at 5 years).Reference Adams, Gray, Kelly, Toner and Ulllah4 In their analysis, supraglottic tumours were associated with an increased risk of second primary lung cancer compared to glottic tumours. This may have implications for surveillance protocols in the follow-up of patients with laryngeal carcinoma.Reference Simo, Homer, Clarke, Mackenzie, Paleri and Pracy5
