In patients with pharyngeal cancer, intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT) with a model-based approach was associated with a lower rate of acute toxicities, especially dysphagia, compared with those receiving intensity-modulated X-ray therapy (IMXT), according to results of a retrospective analysis now published in the Journal of Radiation Research. "Radiation therapy is the mainstay treatment for head and neck cancer," write the investigators, led by Koichi Yasuda, MD, PhD, Assistant Profess...
Transoral robotic surgery with pathologic characteristics-guided adjuvant therapy may improve survival outcomes in older patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPSCC), according to a retrospective cohort analysis now published in JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery. Because patients over 70 years of age are underrepresented in clinical trials for HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers, the optimal way to treat these patients remains controversial. Additional...
Due to intensive treatments, severe side effects, and a high rate of recurrence, oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a challenging disease associated with poor outcomes. According to a recent study, neoadjuvant nivolumab alone or in combination with ipilimumab may be a safe and effective treatment for patients with oral cavity SCC undergoing surgical resection. In this interview, Jonathan Schoenfeld, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School and first ...
In the neoadjuvant setting, nivolumab alone and in combination with ipilimumab is effective and tolerable for patients with previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity, according to results of a phase 2 trial. Surgical resection followed by adjuvant treatment is the standard of care for locally advanced oral cavity SCC. However, immunotherapies such as nivolumab and ipilimumab have recently demonstrated potential for tumor debulking in the neoadjuvant setting, thereby i...
Over 4% of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients who are hospitalized die during their stay in the hospital. How can this number be reduced? In a cross-sectional study recently published in JAMA Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, a research team led by Eric Adjei Boakye, PhD, found that among a variety of other patient- and hospital-related factors, male sex, weekend admissions, and treatment at nonteaching hospitals are associated with increased in-hospital mortality. In this interview with i...