Head and Neck Cancer News and Research

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Head and Neck Cancer is cancer that arises in the head or neck region (in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, throat, or larynx [voice box]).

Four OICR-funded studies explore transformative approaches in cancer care

Four new research studies funded by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) will deliver cutting-edge innovations by maximizing the impact of existing research and making the most out of patient contributions.

13 May 2026

Medical imaging could improve precision diagnosis of aggressive head and neck tumors

Medical imaging routinely used in cancer care may hold far more biological information than previously thought.

13 May 2026

PET/CT scans reveal biological activity of aggressive head and neck tumors

A research team led by the Medical University of Vienna has demonstrated in a recent study that the biological characteristics of a subgroup of head and neck tumors - which are very aggressive in many cases - are reflected in modern imaging techniques.

13 May 2026

Cedars-Sinai develops AI tool for faster and cheaper tumor analysis

A team led by Cedars-Sinai Health Sciences University investigators has created a faster, cheaper way to determine the genes expressed in cancerous tumors.

12 May 2026

A new combined therapy to boost the immune system against cancer

Cancer immunotherapy is built on a simple but powerful idea: the immune system can recognize and destroy cancer cells if it is properly activated. In many patients, however, this response is too weak or too slow to be effective.

7 May 2026

Eating creates temporary metabolic state that boosts T cell function

Diets and healthy eating habits hold promise for preventing and treating diseases, but far less is known about acute effects to the immune system shortly after a meal.

29 Apr 2026

Scientists discover BRCA links to head and neck cancer risks

An international group led by researchers from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences (IMS) in Japan have discovered associations between pathogenic variants of the BRCA 1 and 2 genes and four types of cancer. Published in ESMO Open, the findings expand the potential for personalized medicine to several cancer types that currently have limited treatment options and poor prognoses.

17 Apr 2026

Talc not contaminated with asbestos shows no link to cancer

In a systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers found that occupational exposure to talc that is not contaminated with asbestos is not associated with an increase in the risk of lung cancer, mesothelioma, or laryngeal cancer.

10 Apr 2026

Blocking a single protein could make hidden HPV-positive tumors vulnerable to treatment

A team of scientists at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences have uncovered a mechanism that allows certain head and neck cancers to hide from the immune system, a discovery that could change how some of the most treatment resistant tumors are approached.

18 Mar 2026

WashU Medicine receives 80 million to study exceptional longevity

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received an $80 million grant to continue research into the mysteries of exceptional longevity.

23 Feb 2026

Nanovaccine design boosts immune attack on HPV tumors

Throughout the past decade, Northwestern University scientists have uncovered a striking principle of vaccine design: Performance depends not only on vaccine components but also on vaccine structure.

11 Feb 2026

Genetic ancestry influences tumor biology and survival in head and neck cancers

Genetic ancestry plays a key role in determining the behavior of head and neck tumors and may help explain why African-American patients survive for half as long as their counterparts of European ancestry, according to a new review study led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine's (UMSOM) Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) and the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC).

31 Jan 2026

Clinical trial aims to improve survival for patients with recurrent head and neck cancer

A newly approved National Cancer Institute-funded clinical trial aims to improve survival for head and neck cancer patients whose disease returns after radiation therapy – a setback that affects up to 40% of patients and is often associated with poor outcomes.

27 Jan 2026

Analysis reveals why head and neck cancer clinical trials end early

Head and neck cancer trials are frequently derailed before they can deliver answers. A new analysis suggests that the most common reasons are sponsor decisions related to safety or effectiveness and poor patient recruitment.

12 Jan 2026

Sugarcane protein mouthwash helps protect oral health during head and neck cancer treatment

An artificial saliva in the form of a mouthwash, produced with the CANECPI-5 protein extracted from sugarcane and modified in a laboratory, can aid in treating teeth in patients with head and neck cancer. In these cases, radiotherapy very close to the mouth can destroy salivary glands and compromise saliva production, which is essential for controlling bacteria and disease.

7 Jan 2026

BATF2: A novel tumor suppressor silenced by glutamine in head and neck cancer

A novel tumor suppressor, BATF2, can be silenced by factors in the tumor microenvironment, leading to a reduced immune response in five preclinical models of head and neck cancer, according to researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

7 Jan 2026

Elevated bacteria levels in tumors weaken immune response, studies show

Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered that bacteria inside cancerous tumors may be key to understanding why immunotherapy works for some patients but not others.

2 Jan 2026

Artificial intelligence improves risk stratification in oropharyngeal cancer

A team led by investigators at Mass General Brigham and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has developed and validated an artificial intelligence (AI)–based noninvasive tool that can predict the likelihood that a patient's oropharyngeal cancer-a type of head and neck cancer that develops in the throat-will spread, thereby signaling which patients should receive aggressive treatment.

23 Dec 2025

Study links low physical activity to higher lymphedema risk after cancer treatment

Lymphedema after head and neck cancer is considerably more common than previously assumed and can persist long after cancer treatment has finished.

17 Dec 2025

Proton therapy improves survival in oropharyngeal cancer patients

A new study published today in The Lancet showed a significant survival benefit for patients with oropharyngeal cancers who were treated with proton therapy (IMPT) compared to those treated with traditional radiation therapy (IMRT).

11 Dec 2025