The treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M-HNSCC) requires exceptional interdisciplinary cooperation within the treatment team, as many factors need to be taken into account to come to an adequate treatment decision. Most of these patients need to be treated in a palliative concept, as comorbidities and prior oncologic treatment limit the treatment options. Inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in combination with platinum and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) may be considered as standard. However, survival rates are poor and new therapeutic approaches and substances are therefore tested continuously. At the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in 2014, numerous studies on first- and second-line treatment of R/M-HNSCC were presented. A selection is discussed in this paper, including a report about the combined therapy of cetuximab with established chemotherapies, new results from protocols including small molecules and investigations of mTOR inhibitors.
