Successes and Failures of Combined Modality Therapies in Head and Neck Cancer

The paradigms for treating head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are changing as new subgroups are defined. The technical successes of improved radiation therapy are many; however, the success of novel combined therapies are few. With the emergence of human papillomavirus and the development of immunooncology agents, such as checkpoint inhibitors, are we ready to reevaluate how we use radiation and chemotherapy for locally advanced and metastatic disease—will we remain the fire or become the fire starter?