Chemotherapy for head and neck cancer

Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells.

Your doctor and nurse will talk to you about the chemotherapy that is best for your situation. They will explain how long your treatment is likely to take. Some chemotherapy treatments for head and neck cancer involve a short stay in hospital.

Chemoradiation

If the cancer is locally advanced, you usually have chemotherapy in combination with radiotherapy. This is called chemoradiation. You may have it:

• as your main treatment
• after surgery, to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back (called adjuvant treatment).

You may have chemotherapy each week or every 3 weeks during your course of radiotherapy. Your doctor or nurse will explain this to you.

If the cancer is more advanced, or comes back, you may have chemotherapy on its own or with a targeted therapy drug. It may help control the cancer and relieve symptoms. This can help to improve your quality of life. It is sometimes called palliative chemotherapy.

You may have chemotherapy as an outpatient, or during a short stay in hospital.

Usually the nurse gives your chemotherapy drugs into a vein (intravenously). You have some other drugs, such as capecitabine, as tablets.

Chemotherapy is usually given as several sessions of treatment, with rest periods in between. This makes up one cycle of treatment. Your cancer doctor will explain the number of cycles you need for your course of treatment.

Chemotherapy into a vein

Chemotherapy given into a vein (intravenously) can be given through:

• a cannula – a short, thin tube put into a vein in the arm or the back of the hand
• a central line – a long, thin tube put into a vein in the chest
• a PICC (peripherally inserted central venous catheter) line – a long, thin, flexible tube put into a vein in the arm and threaded through to a vein in the chest
• a portacath – an implantable line (catheter) put into a vein, with an opening (port) under the skin on the chest or arm.

Sometimes, you may have intravenous chemotherapy over a few days through a small, portable pump attached to your central line or PICC line. This allows you to go home during your treatment.