[Special tumor entities in the head and neck region: nasopharyngeal, salivary gland, and thyroid cancer].

Three studies were presented that dealt with the topic of risk-adapted treatment stratification in advanced nasopharyngeal cancer. Dose-reduced radiotherapy (60 Gy) in low-risk patients resulted in a favorable toxicity profile with promising oncological results in a single-arm phase II study. In a phase III study, intensity-modulated radiotherapy alone showed comparable survival to combined radiochemotherapy with cisplatin in selected low-risk patients. In high-risk patients, addition of the EGFR antibody nimotuzumab to definitive radiochemotherapy showed an increased 5‑year survival rate compared to placebo (phase III study). Although an immediate change in clinical practice in Europe based on these studies is questionable, the concept of risk-adapted therapy taking into account biological characteristics (Epstein-Barr virus [EBV] DNA level) is future orientated. Similar to previous years, the contributions on recurrent/metastatic salivary gland and thyroid cancer emphasized the importance of targeted therapies based on vulnerable molecular target lesions.