Immunotherapy Using Mycobacterium w Vaccine in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer: Illustrative Research

The oncological treatment has been advanced promisingly over the past decades. The patients may
be treated with surgery, chemotherapy (CT), radiotherapy (RT) or combination of these treatment
modalities. Immunotherapy for prevention and treatment of malignant disease is also in initial stage
and has raised a hope that improving immune mechanism can be of use. Most suitable treatment
modality for the patient is selected after the final diagnosis. The use of Mycobacterium w (Mw)
vaccine in Head and neck cancer (HNC) is an effort to reduce treatment induced toxicity with resultant
improvement in the response rate. Immunotherapy in the form of Mw vaccine may be useful as
concurrent therapy with radical intent concomitant chemo radiation treatment to improve response
rate with less side effects in patients suffering from locally advanced head and neck squamous cell
carcinoma.