ABSTRACT
Introduction Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) represents the sixth most common malignancy. The usual age of diagnosis is between the fifth and sixth decades, but as many as 24% of SCCHN are diagnosed in patients older than 70 years of age. There are no major differences in terms of disease stage and tumor differentiation between senior and younger patients, although the elderlies present a trend to develop more locally advanced disease but fewer neck node metastases. Radiotherapy (RT) and surgery or both combined represent the principal treatment modalities, but chemotherapy and targeted therapies also play a central role in disease management in senior patients.
