Head & Neck Cancers | Specialty

The OncLive Head and Neck Cancer condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on treatment for patients with head and neck cancer. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on unmet needs, treatment advances, and ongoing research within head and neck cancer.

Nodule Size Should Not Determine Biopsy Decision in Thyroid Cancer

October 23rd 2015

The recent American Thyroid Association guidelines to abstain from cytological evaluation by biopsy for patients with thyroid cancer on the basis of having thyroid nodules â‰¤1 cm is not advisable.

Pazopanib's Activity in Thyroid Cancer Not Predicted by Thyroglobulin

October 22nd 2015

Pazopanib demonstrated significant clinical activity for patients with RAI-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer; however, a predictive biomarker for the therapy could not be uncovered.

Tumor Profiling Identifies Potential Biomarkers for Vandetanib in MTC

October 22nd 2015

Researchers have identified molecular markers in medullary thyroid cancer that were associated with response to vandetanib and the development of metastases.

Dr. Stephen Huang on Challenges in Pediatric Thyroid Cancer

October 22nd 2015

Stephen Huang, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the challenges of pediatric thyroid cancer.

Dr. Brose on Lenvatinib in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

October 22nd 2015

Marcia Brose, MD, PhD, associate professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses survival benefit and possible combination strategies with the lenvatinib in patients with radioactive iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.

Dr. Valderrabano on Understanding Cancer Risk in Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules

October 21st 2015

Pablo Valderrabano, MD, Clinical Research Fellow at Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses molecular markers in thyroid nodules and their connection to cancer incidence.

Second-Line Cabozantinib Effective in RAI-Refractory DTC

October 21st 2015

The oral multikinase inhibitor cabozantinib showed promise as a second- or third-line therapy in patients with advanced radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.

Lenvatinib PFS Benefit in DTC Maintained Across Metastasis Sites

October 21st 2015

The progression-free survival benefit with lenvatinib in radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer was observed across common sites of metastasis.

Survey Reveals Potential Overuse of Thyroid Nodule Biopsy

October 21st 2015

A large survey of endocrinologists found wide variation in management strategies for thyroid nodules that were frequently misaligned with current guidelines, particularly for biopsies by fine-needle aspiration.

Dr. Umamaheswar Duvvuri on Impact of Multiple Genetic Mutations in Advanced Thyroid Cancer

October 20th 2015

Umamaheswar Duvvuri, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology (ENT) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, talks about potential genetic signatures for locally advanced, well differentiated thyroid cancers.

Dr. Manisha Shah on Cabozantinib Impact on Tumor Shrinkage in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer

October 20th 2015

Manisha Shah, MD, Professor of Oncology at Ohio State University Medical Center, College of Medicine discusses cabozantinib in patients with radioiodine- refractory differentiated thyroid cancer.

Parotid Node Metastases in Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal and Oropharyngeal Cancer: Implications for Radiotherapy Target Volume Delineation

October 5th 2015

The ipsilateral parotidean nodes may be at risk of metastatic involvement when bulky ipsilateral level II metastases and multilevel nodal disease are co-existent, possibly due to retrograde lymphatic drainage.

Research Leader Discusses FDA-Funded Immunotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

September 29th 2015

Brett Miles, MD, DDS, discusses the potential of ADXS11-001 in HPV-associated head and neck cancer and other emerging therapies and treatment strategies.

Therapeutic Ratio of Hypofractionation in Early Glottic Cancer: A Topic Worth Revisiting?

September 29th 2015

A retrospective experience suggests that early glottic cancer treated with HRT results in a higher incidence of acute toxicity without improved control compared to CRT delivered in an appropriate OTT.

Dr. Hisham Mehanna on Quality of Life Differences in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

September 26th 2015

Hisham Mehanna, MBChB, PhD, Chair, Head and Neck Surgery, Director, Institute of Head and Neck Studies and Education at University of Birmingham, discusses differences in the quality of life (QoL) and functional outcomes of treatment between HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell cancer patients (HNSCC).

Pembrolizumab Active in Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

September 26th 2015

More than a fifth of patients with previously treated metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma showed a measurable response when treated with the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab.

Dr. Mell on Toxicities Associated With GL-ONC1 for Head and Neck Cancer

September 23rd 2015

Loren K. Mell, MD, chief, Head and Neck Malignancy Service, associate professor, University of California, San Diego, discusses toxicities associated with GL-ONC1 for the treatment of patients with head and neck cancer.

FDA Awards Research Grants for 18 Rare Diseases, Including HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer

September 22nd 2015

Eighteen new research grants, totaling more than $19 million, have been awarded by the FDA for product development in rare diseases such as HPV-related head and neck cancer and recurrent glioblastoma.

HPV DNA Detected in Mouthwash Predicts Oral Cancer Recurrence

August 26th 2015

Patients who have HPV 16 DNA in their saliva following treatment of their oropharyngeal cancer are more likely to have their cancer recur, and a prospective cohort study has shown that a simple mouth rinse can be used to detect it.

Oncolytic Virus Shows Promise in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

August 19th 2015

The attenuated vaccinia virus GL-ONC1 demonstrated safety and clinical benefit when delivered intravenously with concurrent chemoradiation therapy for patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck carcinoma in a recent phase I study.