Noteworthy studies to be presented at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium

Research on patient-centered treatment of head and neck cancers will be presented at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium, which takes place in Phoenix and online today through March 2. Media registration is available. Studies recommended by symposium leadership for media are noted below, and outside experts are available to provide commentary.

Researchers uncover a potential genetic marker associated with better survival outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer

Researchers from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center show for the first time that a gene usually linked to giant axonal neuropathy, a rare and severe neurological condition, also plays a role in inhibiting aggressive tumor cell growth in head and neck cancers.

$3.3M grant awarded to UTHealth Houston to study digital patient-reported symptom monitoring tool for patients with head and neck cancer

A five-year, $3.3 million grant to study symptom management in patients with head and neck cancer has been awarded to researchers from UTHealth Houston by the National Cancer Institute (1R01CA282149), part of the National Institutes of Health.

MD Anderson Research Highlights for September 21, 2023

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back.

SLU Study: Head and Neck Cancer Diagnostic Delays Linked to Antibiotics Despite Clinical Practice Guidelines

Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine say diagnostic delays frequently occur in patients with undiagnosed head and neck cancer (HNC) and are calling for improved dissemination of current clinical practice guidelines in a new paper published Aug. 24 in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.

MD Anderson Research Highlights for September 28, 2022

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. Current advances include an investigation into the efficacy of dexamethasone for dyspnea relief, a combination therapy for hairy cell leukemia, an analysis of RAS mutations and their prognostic value in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a possible new combination therapy for basal-like breast cancer, and swallowing exercises to improve the quality of life for patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

$1.8 Million NIH Grant Supports Head and Neck Cancer Research

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers Lluis Morey, Ph.D., and Ramiro Verdun, Ph.D., have received a $1.8 million NIH R01 grant to study the epigenetic mechanisms that drive head and neck cancers.

Henry Ford Health + MSU Health Sciences Funds Five Cancer Research Grants to Advance Cancer Medicine, Combat Health Disparities

Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences today announced its funding of five cancer research grants of up to $100,000 each. These five grants follow an initial wave of funding from the partnership, in which 18 pilot grants of up to $25,000 each were funded in May 2022.

How MRI and CT predict flap failure after head and neck reconstructive cancer surgery

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. …

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.

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.

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.