The type of bacteria in a person’s mouth could help determine whether they are at high risk of head and neck cancer, according to research that adds to the reasons for keeping good oral health. The study, published in the journal JAMA Oncology, highlighted novel microbial risk factors that could…

A simple oral rinse may be able to detect patients at higher risk of head and neck cancer recurrence. CD44 levels in used rinse were triple the normal level in patients who recurred, according to a new study by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami…

Using cannabis, the most commonly consumed illicit substance worldwide, increases risk of head and neck cancer, according to a new study by the University of Southern California (USC) Head and Neck Center, part of Keck Medicine of USC, and the USC Caruso Department of Otolaryngology. The research team tracked cancer cases…

The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) has issued new guidelines for head and neck cancer radiation therapy (RT) for the treatment of HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) that provides optimal dosing regimens either alone or after surgery aimed at minimizing doses to areas that may affect a patient’s…

Almost half of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) have at least one suboptimally controlled cardiovascular (CV) risk factor, which in turn may be associated with an increased risk for CV events and death, suggests a study among US veterans. The findings show that “CV risk mitigation…

Since most head and neck cancer patients relapse, and there is strong evidence that subtypes exist, there is an urgent need for biomarkers to guide treatment. Now, researchers have developed a biobank of over 100 organoids, which may help clinicians choose the most appropriate treatment. These patients typically undergo surgery,…

Patients with oropharyngeal cancer caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) should be double tested to improve their outcomes, according to new research. One test detects the actual virus, the other looks for the P16 protein that has been established as a commonly used biomarker for HPV, and which is…

The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) might boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy against some types of cancer by inhibiting pathways that drive drug resistance, suggest results from research led by the University of Pittsburgh. The newly reported work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that among…

A clinical trial led by Trisha Wide-Draper, M.D., at the University of Cincinnati (UC) that added permbrolizumab to standard of care treatments for head and neck cancer patients has exhibited increased survival rates with intermediate risk features. The findings were reported late last week in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal…

Researchers at Mass Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a liquid biopsy test for head and neck cancer associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV).  In a new study, the test was shown to be more accurate, faster, and cheaper than conventional testing methods. Their report, published…

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) OmniSeq announced today will collaborate on a cancer clinical study. Under the deal, UMPC will use the RNA-seq gene expression profile assay for selecting immunotherapy combination in patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The primary objective is to…

Diagnosing head and neck cancers is challenging. It is particularly difficult to distinguish pulmonary metastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) from primary lung squamous cell carcinomas (LUSCs). However, differentiating these from each another can have important clinical implications. Now, a team of researchers has developed a machine learning algorithm,…

Researchers at Johns Hopkins led a proof-of-principle study that successfully identified tumor DNA shed into the blood and saliva of 93 patients with head and neck cancer. Their report (“Detection of somatic mutations and HPV in the saliva and plasma of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma”) is…

Ideaya Biosciences is paying $400M+ for an option on Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals’ potential first-in-class B7H3/PTK7 BsADC program. Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with cytotoxic drugs aimed at delivering highly targeted treatment. Biocytogen says B7H3/PTK7 is co-expressed in multiple solid tumor types, including having double-digit percent prevalence…

IDEAYA Biosciences has announced positive interim results for its MAT2A inhibitor Phase II trial in urothelial and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). IDE397 is a potential first-in-class methionine adenosyltransferase 2 alpha (MAT2A) inhibitor targeting MTAP-deletion solid tumors. The trial looked at an expansion dose, which seems to show efficacy and…