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]).

Targeting metabolic reprogramming to overcome immune suppression in head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer remains a major global health challenge, ranking among the six most common cancers worldwide and claiming hundreds of thousands of lives each year.

5 Sep 2025

New drug dismantles cancer cell powerhouse to halt tumor growth

Researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center have discovered a potentially powerful weapon in the fight against head and neck cancers.

2 Sep 2025

First clinical trial in cats tests targeted therapy for deadly head and neck cancer

Researchers have reported results from the first-ever clinical trial of a new class of targeted therapy in pet cats with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)-a cancer which is notoriously deadly and difficult to treat.

28 Aug 2025

OU researchers explore how cannabis use affects recovery after head and neck cancer surgery

University of Oklahoma researchers are conducting a first-of-its-kind study to determine whether cannabis use affects recovery from the wounds associated with head and neck cancer surgery. The outcomes may have implications for other types of surgery and conditions.

12 Aug 2025

Cannabis use disorder triples five-year risk of oral cancer

Research shows cannabis use disorder triples the risk of oral cancer, challenging perceptions of cannabis safety and prompting calls for health screenings.

5 Aug 2025

ChatGPT helps speed up patient screening for clinical trials

A new study in the academic journal Machine Learning: Health discovers that ChatGPT can accelerate patient screening for clinical trials, showing promise in reducing delays and improving trial success rates.

1 Aug 2025

Synergistic effects of radiation and immunotherapy boost anti-tumor immunity

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are a group of cancers that affect cells in and around our mouth and nose.

29 Jul 2025

Standard DNA tests miss most cases of NUT carcinoma

The diagnosis of a suspected lung, head, and neck cancer called NUT carcinoma should include additional testing capable of detecting gene fusions that are definitive markers of the disease, according to a study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators.

24 Jul 2025

New diagnostic test identifies head and neck cancer patients curable by surgery alone

Researchers developed a diagnostic test based on the LIMA1-alpha protein to distinguish patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who can be cured with surgery alone, without the need for radiation or chemotherapy.

23 Jul 2025

AI tool predicts tumor aggressiveness using protein markers

As cancer cases have increased worldwide, the disease has become more complex, presenting challenges to scientific advances in diagnosis and treatment.

15 Jul 2025

Survey highlights widespread emotional impact of cancer on patients and their families

A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event for patients that can cause short- and long-term mental health concerns as they shift to living within a new timeline driven by weeks or months between medical follow-up appointments.

15 Jul 2025

Understanding resistance to EGFR targeted therapies in head and neck cancers and breast cancer

A new review was published in Volume 16 of Oncotarget on June 25, 2025, titled "Challenges and resistance mechanisms to EGFR targeted therapies in head and neck cancers and breast cancer: Insights into RTK dependent and independent mechanisms."

10 Jul 2025

Fluorescent drug helps surgeons see nerves clearly during complex procedures

When surgeons dissect tissue to remove a tumor or make a repair they must work cautiously, relying on electrophysical monitors and their own anatomical knowledge to avoid cutting nerves, which could complicate the patient's recovery.

4 Jul 2025

FDA approval of pembrolizumab marks major shift in head and neck cancer treatment

Pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1 [Combined Positive Score (CPS) ≥1] as determined by an FDA-approved test.

15 Jun 2025

Combination treatment extends progression-free survival in advanced skin cancer

In patients with an advanced type of skin cancer called cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), those who received the combination of the immunotherapy drug avelumab and targeted agent cetuximab had almost four times longer median progression-free survival compared to patients who received avelumab alone, according to the results of a phase 2 trial presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting and concurrently published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

1 Jun 2025

New blood test detects HPV-linked head and neck cancer with unmatched accuracy

A new liquid biopsy blood test could help detect cases of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated head and neck cancers with significantly higher accuracy than currently used methods, including before patients develop symptoms, according to new Mass General Brigham research.

20 May 2025

Study identifies key enzyme linked to metastasis in head and neck cancer

A recent study published in Engineering has shed new light on the mechanisms underlying the metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

8 May 2025

Immunotherapy before and after surgery boost longer event-free survival in head and neck cancer

Patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer who received the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab before, during and after standard-of-care surgery had longer event-free survival without the cancer coming back and higher rates of substantial tumor shrinkage prior to surgery, according to the first interim analysis of a randomized, open-label phase 3 clinical trial led by investigators from Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

6 May 2025

CAD/CAM techniques improve outcomes in jaw reconstruction after cancer surgery

For patients undergoing jaw reconstruction after surgery for head and neck cancer, computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) techniques can improve some key clinical outcomes, reports a study in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

30 Apr 2025

Northwestern researchers call for better survivorship care for cancer patients

More Americans are beating cancer than ever, yet many still grapple with treatment's long shadow - especially on their mental health.

29 Apr 2025