[A review of indications for primary surgical care of patients with advanced head and neck cancer].

Organ preservation protocols for advanced head and neck carcinoma have proven to be successful in controlled clinical trials. This has led to an increase in the use of primary chemoradiation for these tumors. However, the intensification of nonoperative treatment protocols has been associated with a dramatic increase in acute treatment-related toxicity and mortality. In this paper, the role of primary surgical care is reviewed. Recent publications in the field and current treatment concepts are discussed.