RESUMO
Adjuvant treatment after deifnitive surgery is an integral part of the management of locoregionally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Earlier stage HNSCC with N+disease may require adjuvant radiotherapy, while locoregionally advanced disease requires postoperative chemoradiation therapy for eradicating subclinical residual disease. Tri-modality with surgery followed by concurrent chemoradiation can improve the local control, disease free survival, and overall survival rates in patients with advanced HNSCC as compare to surgery or surgery plus radiation. However, treatment induced adverse-effects should be addressed when deciding on the treatment options. Molecular targeted therapy is a new treatment modality and its efifcacy when used in concurrent with radiation as a deifnitive treatment has been suggested. However, adjuvant use of radiation and targeted therapy requires further investigation before it can be recommended routinely in clinical practice. The association between HPV and HNSCC, as well as the clinical implication of such association require further study as well.