Frequency of use and cost in Japan of first-line palliative chemotherapies for recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

First-line palliative chemotherapy for RM-SCCHN exceeds 600 000 JPY monthly. Over the last decade, the prognosis for RM-SCCHN has improved, but the costs of palliative chemotherapy have surged, placing a heavy burden on patients and society.