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.

Dr. Parsa on a Trial Analyzing G-200 for Glioblastoma

July 2nd 2013

Andrew T. Parsa MD, PhD, from the University of California, San Francisco, describes the design of a trial analyzing prophage G-200 vaccine for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

Genomic Alterations Characterized in Squamous Cell Cancers of the Head and Neck

June 26th 2013

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck have different patterns of genetic alterations, some of which may be actionable or druggable with available agents or drugs in development.

Sorafenib Doubles PFS in Rare Thyroid Cancer

June 3rd 2013

Interim findings from a randomized, global, phase III study indicate that the multi-targeted drug sorafenib nearly doubled PFS for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer resistant to radioactive iodine therapy.

Dr. Brose on Sorafenib in RAI-Resistant Thyroid Cancer

June 2nd 2013

Marcia Brose, MD, PhD, from the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the phase III DECISION study that explored sorafenib in radioactive iodine-resistant differentiated thyroid cancer.

Partners of HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients Not at Increased Risk of HPV Infection or Oral Cancer

June 2nd 2013

Patients with human papilloma virusâ€“positive oropharyngeal cancer and their spouses may find some reassurance in a study that found that partners are no more likely to be infected by HPV than the general population.

Dr. D'Souza on Spouses of HPV-Positive Patients

June 1st 2013

Gypsyamber Dâ€˜Souza, PhD, MPH, MS, from Johns Hopkins University, discusses the prevalence of oral HPV infections in the spouses of patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer.

Dr. Sherman on Selumetinib-Enhanced Radioiodine Uptake

May 29th 2013

Eric J. Sherman, MD, Head and Neck Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a pilot study of selumetinib-enhanced radioiodine uptake in advanced thyroid cancer.

Four Head and Neck Cancer Highlights From ASCO 2013

May 21st 2013

This article summarizes 4 abstracts that will be discussed at the 49th Annual ASCO Meeting, focused on the treatment of patients with head and neck cancer.

New Method of Predicting Head and Neck Cancer Survival Explored

May 20th 2013

A new measure of tumor heterogeneity in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) was significantly associated with tumor progression and adverse treatment outcomes.

LUX Program Examines Pan-HER Inhibitor Afatinib in Multiple Tumor Types

May 17th 2013

Researchers are attempting to determine if targeting more than one tyrosine kinase provide a greater benefit in several clinical trials involving the investigational drug afatinib.

Dr. Sherman on Pazopanib in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

May 14th 2013

Eric J. Sherman, MD, Head and Neck Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the treatment of anaplastic thyroid cancer with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), paclitaxel, and pazopanib.

New Drug Potentially Blocks HPV from Causing Head and Neck Cancer

April 17th 2013

A novel small molecule inhibitor called CH1iB may be able to block a mechanism that enables human papilloma virus to cause head and neck cancer.

Dr. Sherman Defines RAI Resistance in Thyroid Cancer

April 15th 2013

Steven I. Sherman, MD, from the MD Anderson Cancer Center, describes the need to expand the clinical definition of radioactive iodine resistance for patients with thyroid cancer.

Selumetinib May Reverse Resistance to Radioiodine in Patients with Advanced Thyroid Cancer

March 27th 2013

Patients with advanced thyroid cancer who develop resistance to treatment with radioiodine may benefit from the experimental drug selumetinib.

Oropharyngeal Cancer Links to HPV Detailed

March 12th 2013

The patterns characterizing oropharyngeal cancers associated with the human papillomavirus are bucking broad trends in oncology statistics in the United StatesâŽ¯and not in a positive way.

Rise in Some HPV-Linked Cancers Highlights Need for Vaccination

March 11th 2013

The incidence of cervical cancer, an HPV-associated cancer, declined slightly; however, incidence rates increased for oropharyngeal and anal cancer, which also are considered HPV-associated cancers.

Optimizing Advanced Technologies to Improve Outcomes in Esophageal Cancer

February 28th 2013

Studies have explored integration of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery, with the suggestion that modern technologies may be changing the treatment landscape with better outcomes in esophageal cancer.

Five Genetic Subgroups Revealed in Head and Neck Tumor Analysis

February 27th 2013

New research suggests that there may be five distinct subgroups of head and neck cancer in which specific genetic profiles may be utilized to guide treatment decisions in patients.

Notch Signaling: Tackling a Complex Pathway With a New Generation of Agents

February 27th 2013

Notch-targeted agents that were initially intended for the treatment of Alzheimer disease are now being examined for their possible anticancer activity.

Dr. Posner on HPV-Positive Oropharynx Cancer

January 7th 2013

Marshall Posner, MD, from Mount Sinai Medical Center, discusses the factors that improve the prognosis for patients with HPV-positive head and neck cancer when compared to patients who are HPV-negative.