[Progress in the study of artemisinin and its derivatives against head and neck cancer]

The head and neck cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. There are more than 600 000 new cases in the world every year. Cisplatin is often used in the treatment of head and neck cancer at present. However, because of its side effects and drug resistance, cisplatin often failed in the treatment of head and neck cancer. Artemisinin and its derivatives as first-line antimalarial drugs have the advantages of high efficiency, low toxicity and so on. Further study found that artemisinin and its derivatives had cytotoxic effects against head and neck cancer through inducing cell cycle arrest, inducing tumor cell apoptosis and inhibiting cell invasion and migration, oxidative damage, blocking the cell signal transduction and inhibiting angiogenesis. Studying the anti-tumor effects of artemisinin and its derivatives allows for development of safer and more effective antitumor drugs and pain-reduction caused by diseases and traditional treatment, then improve the survival rate and life quality of patients with head and neck cancer. This article reviews the progress in the study of artemisinin and its derivatives in the treatment of head and neck cancer.