Current Research

Research for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer is ongoing. The following advances may still be under investigation in clinical trials and may not be approved or available at this time. Always discuss all diagnostic and treatment options with your doctor.

Radiofrequency thermal ablation (RFA). RFA uses heat to kill cancer cells. It is a minimally invasive treatment option that may be useful for a localized tumor that cannot be removed by surgery.

Gene therapy. Gene therapy is a targeted form of treatment that uses biologic gene manipulation to change bits of genetic code in a person’s cells. Although gene therapy is relatively new, it appears to show promising potential for treating head and neck cancer.

Photodynamic therapy. In photodynamic therapy, a substance that is photosensitive (sensitive to light) is injected into the blood. Cancer cells hold the substance for longer than normal cells. Then, laser lights are directed at the area of the tumor, and the substance in the cells is activated to kill the cancer cells.

New therapy approaches. Increasing knowledge of the biology of cancer is leading to the development of biologic and targeted therapies. Some of the available drugs are used in conjunction with conventional chemotherapy or radiation therapy. People should inquire about such treatment options, offered mainly in clinical trials. Researchers are evaluating more effective ways of using radiation treatment. One promising approach, radiosensitization, involves administering drugs that make the cancer cells more sensitive to radiation therapy so they can be destroyed more easily. Another approach is called hyperfractionated radiation therapy, in which radiation therapy is given in several small doses per day.

Targeted and tumor-specific therapy. Multiple new drugs are currently under various stages of development. They offer real hope for targeted tumor-specific approaches for this type of cancer (and head and neck cancer, in general). Cetuximab (a monoclonal antibody directed at the epidermal growth factor receptor) is already approved for use with current radiation therapy approaches. The hope is that these and other more targeted therapies will offer new treatment options with equal or greater effectiveness and fewer side effects.