A new study finds that early postoperative CT scans and MRIs can help predict whether a free flap, used for reconstructive head and neck cancer surgery, will fail. The method carries around a 10-40% risk of wound complications, and researchers say the findings could allow surgeons to intervene earlier if the flap fails.
Tag: Head And Neck Cancer
Scientists Create Nanoparticle That Helps Fight Solid Tumors
Researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine have discovered a possible new approach in treating solid tumors through the creation of a novel nanoparticle.
The Medical Minute: Getting ahead of head and neck cancer
The warning signs of head and neck cancer can be easy to miss. But according to a Penn State Health physician, prevention is possible.
Two markers help predict head and neck cancer prognosis
A new study from the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center finds circulating tumor DNA, or ctDNA, levels can predict as early as two weeks after starting treatment which patients are likely to have good outcomes. At the same time, specialized MRI and PET scans two weeks after starting chemoradiation also correlated with outcomes.
UD’s Xinqiao Jia secures $4.85 million to advance vocal fold, salivary gland research
University of Delaware materials scientist Xinqiao Jia has received a combined $4.85 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research to develop new approaches in tissue engineering. Jia and colleagues will explore ways to regenerate salivary glands damaged by radiation therapy for head and neck cancers. She also will focus on understanding what causes damage or scarring to vocal folds, the pliable tissue that enables our ability to talk.
Penn Nursing Researcher Awarded $3 Million for Study on Improving Lymphedema Care Delivery
A research team led by Penn Nursing’s Jie Deng, PhD, RN, OCN, FAAN, Associate Professor of Nursing in the Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, has been approved for a $3 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study lymphedema management in head and neck cancer survivors.
New Chief of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology Named to New Jersey’s Only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
Expanding its multidisciplinary teams of highly specialized experts uniquely focused on the management of head and neck cancers and cancer of the lung, pleura and mediastinum, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health have welcomed Missak Haigentz, Jr., MD, as chief of Thoracic and Head and Neck Medical Oncology and clinical director for Oncology Integration.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Ranked #1 Nationally for Ear, Nose, and Throat Care by U.S. News & World Report
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has been recognized as the number one center for ear, nose, and throat care by U.S. News & World Report in its annual Best Hospitals listing. MSK has been consistently ranked among the top two cancer centers in the country for over 30 years.
Head and neck cancer cells hijack nearby healthy tissue, promoting further invasion of cancer cells
Up to half of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma will experience tumor recurrence or new tumors—tumors that often spread and are difficult to treat.
Maximizing cancer survival, minimizing treatment side effects with AI
Computer scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago are developing a computational artificial intelligence system they hope will serve as a decision support tool for doctors prescribing treatment for head and neck cancer. The work is supported by a $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Genetic Changes in Head and Neck Cancer, Immunotherapy Resistance Identified
A multi-institutional team of researchers, led by UC San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center, has identified both the genetic abnormalities that drive pre-cancer cells into becoming an invasive type of head and neck cancer and patients who are least likely to respond to immunotherapy.
Researchers Identify New Role for Immune-Boosting Protein “STING” in Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer
In a study by Yale Cancer Center, researchers report on the discovery of a new role for STimulator of INterferon Genes or STING. STING has traditionally been implicated in the immune response to DNA damage, however, in this study, the focus is on STING’s role in the tumor DNA damage response.
University of Colorado Inter-campus Collaboration Wins R01 Award for Salivary Gland Cancer
Two University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers have received a five-year R01 Award for $497,893 per year from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study a potential new drug treatment for salivary gland cancer. The award is part of an inter-campus collaboration between Antonio Jimeno, MD, PhD, co-leader of the Developmental Therapeutics Program, and Tin Tin Su, PhD, co-leader of the Molecular and Cellular Oncology Program.
Cancer Patients Who Are Most Worried About Finances Shown to Have Worse Outcomes
Cancer treatment is likely to affect every aspect of a patient’s life — their activities, relationships, eating habits, mental health, physical health and comfort, financial wellbeing. And when financial concerns weigh heavily on an individual who is in treatment for cancer, they can affect the outcome of that treatment. New research from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center provides the first evidence that a cancer patient’s level of financial worry as they begin treatment predicts how likely it is that their treatment will be successful.

Behaviors Surrounding Oral Sex May Increase HPV-Related Cancer Risk
A wide breadth of behaviors surrounding oral sex may affect the risk of oral HPV infection and of a virus-associated head and neck cancer that can be spread through this route, a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center suggests. These findings add nuance to the connection between oral sex and oropharyngeal cancer — tumors that occur in the mouth and throat — and could help inform research and public health efforts aimed at preventing this disease.

Telemedicine Use During COVID-19 Shows Access Disparity Among Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Retrospective research by Henry Ford otolaryngologists found telemedicine use disparity among head and neck cancer patients during start of COVID-19 pandemic.

Henry Ford Health System is the First in Michigan to offer da Vinci Single Port Robotic Surgery System
Henry Ford Health System is the first in Michigan to offer the da Vinci SP® robotic surgery system, which requires only a single small incision for its surgical instruments and allows for greater control and access in narrow surgical spaces.

Mass Eye and Ear Capital Campaign Concludes with $252 Million Raised to Advance Research and Patient Care
Mass Eye and Ear is proud to announce the successful conclusion of its historic campaign, “Bold Science. Life-Changing Cures.” which raised $252M from philanthropy to advance research to treat and cure diseases of vision, hearing, and the head and neck.
The campaign was led by co-chair Wyc Grousbeck, Boston Celtics CEO and Lead Owner and former Chairman of Mass Eye and Ear.
Axitinib Improves Survival for Patients with Incurable Head and Neck Cancer
A new phase 2 clinical trial found the drug axitinib was able to extend the lives of patients with incurable head and neck cancer by several months, and also identified a subset of patients with a specific mutation for whom the drug is likely to work best.

HPV Vaccinations During Global Pandemic
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and the cause of most cervical cancers, and some vaginal, penile, anal and oral cancers. The HPV vaccine has proven effective in preventing infection and six types of HPV-attributable cancers. …

Precision Medicine Identifies Key Recurring Mutation in Head and Neck Cancers
Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center report that an investigational drug candidate called tipifarnib showed promise in treating key recurring mutation in head and neck cancers.

10 Things to Know About HPV and Throat Cancer
As we observe World Head and Neck Cancer Day 2020 (July 27), nationally known expert Tom Thomas, MD, MPH, has set out to clear up misunderstandings about how one type of head and neck cancer is related to human papillomavirus (HPV), which has historically been thought of primarily as a cause of cervical cancer. Dr. Thomas is medical director, Head and Neck Reconstructive Surgery and Transoral Robotic Surgery, Leonard B. Kahn Head and Neck Cancer Institute at Atlantic Health System’s Morristown Medical Center and Carol G. Simon Cancer Center. He is one of the leaders of the Atlantic HPV Center.

Cancer Clinical Trials Tested, Continue During COVID-19 Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health continues to offer potentially lifesaving treatment through cancer clinical trials.

Researchers ID new target in drive to improve immunotherapy for cancer
Researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and UCLA School of Dentistry have identified a potential new combination therapy to treat advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, the most common type of head and neck cancer.

Adoptive T-cell therapy ADP-A2M4 targeting MAGE-A4 shows early activity in patients with advanced solid tumors
The adoptive T-cell therapy ADP-A2M4, which is engineered to express a T-cell receptor (TCR) directed against the MAGE-A4 cancer antigen, achieved responses in patients with multiple solid tumor types, including synovial sarcoma, head and neck cancer and lung cancer, according to results from a Phase I clinical trial led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

New Information from NCCN on Overcoming Challenges for People with Head and Neck Cancers
Newly-completed series of patient guidelines from National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) shares expert advice with patients and caregivers on treatment and prevention for most common head and neck cancers, including some that are HPV-related.
Absent p53, oral cancers recruit and reprogram nerves to fuel tumor growth
Loss of an important tumor-suppressing gene allows head and neck cancer to spin off signals to nearby nerves, changing their function and recruiting them to the tumor, where they fuel growth and cancer progress.

Gaps in Cure Rate Appear Linked to Race and Insurance Status for a Common HPV-Related Cancer, According to New Research
Largest population-based analysis on factors that affect survival outcomes for HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) find significant racial and socioeconomic disparities, according to new study in JNCCN-Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
Botanical drug is shown to help patients with head and neck cancers
In a UCLA-led phase I clinical trial, a new plant-based drug called APG-157 showed signs of helping patients fight oral and oropharyngeal cancers. These cancers are located in the head and the neck.
APG-157 is made up of multiple compounds produced by plants, including curcumin. UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers found that treatment with this botanical drug resulted in high concentrations of curcumin and its byproducts circulating in the blood and absorbed by tumor tissues within three hours after being taken orally.

Plant-derived SVC112 hits cancer stem cells, leaves healthy cells alone
Study shows Colorado drug SVC112 stops production of proteins that cancer stem cells need to survive and grow
How Cigarette Smoke Makes Head and Neck Cancer More Aggressive
A change in the tumor metabolism due to tobacco exposure could open new treatment avenues in head and neck cancer.