Metastases in Head and Neck Cancer

On January 25-27, 2001, physicians and researchers from Germany, Great Britain, Austria, Poland, Japan, Finland, The Netherlands, Bulgaria, Spain, Sweden, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Italy, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and the United States assembled to exchange new concepts and information on progress in basic and clinical research on head and neck cancer. The occasion was the Fourth International Symposium on Metastases in Head and Neck Cancer: Advances in Experimental and Clinical Research. This biannual event had previously been organized in Kiel and - following the move of Professor Werner and his team - was held this year for the first time in the historic and beautiful town of Marburg an der Lahn. The design of the meeting brought together reports from basic researchers with those from clinical studies. One exciting aspect of the meeting resulted from continued deeper insight into the importance of biological markers. Amplification of the EGF receptor and cyclinD1, HPV involvement, and mutant p53 which are associated with prognosis, are also being identified as targets for better therapy. Progress in antibody use for tumor detection and therapy promises further developments in treatment and improved outcome. Similarly the identification of genetic changes by conventional genetics, comparative genomic hybridization, and gene expression analysis are leading to new target genes that give insight into mechanisms of progression and also provide novel targets for therapy. These exciting research developments were balanced by clinical studies that demonstrate ever more clearly that we must place more and more patients onto treatment protocols in order to see improved survival in the future. Overall the meeting provided an intimate opportunity for discussion of new ideas, a reviewal of existing outcomes, as well as the possibility for continued progress through increased cooperation and clinical trials of novel strategies.