Strategies to manage the oral health impacts of head and neck cancer treatment: A scoping review.

Integrated geriatric assessment and intervention in the head and neck oncology care pathway reduces adverse events and does not affect survival.

Dose-escalated stereotactic body radiotherapy re-irradiation in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer: a prospective phase 2 study using automated non-coplanar volumetric modulated arc therapy.

18-FDG-PET Imaging in Head and Neck Cancer: Current Application.

Organoid is an emerging preclinical model for tumor research, which can effectively maintain genetic stability and recapitulate the heterogeneity of parental tumors. Tumor organoid models are widely used in the research on the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and progression, prediction of therapeutic response, drug screening and other related fields. This review summarizes the characteristics of organoids, the application scope and application value of tumor organoids in the field of head and neck cancers, aiming to provide a reference for the realization of precision medicine in head and neck cancers and the development of basic scientific research in the future.

Clustering of dosimetric profiles reveals distinct local control probabilities after SABR in oligometastatic head and neck cancer: insights from the OMET phase II trial quality assurance Process.

Incidence of HPV-independent second primary malignancies following treatment of HPV-associated malignancy.

Dynamic prediction of Radiotherapy toxicities in Head and neck cancer using clinical and imaging data.

Radiation dose inaccuracies near patient-specific osteosynthesis plates: an ex vivo dosimetric study.

Rare Head and Neck Tumors: An Imaging Review.

Unexpected Findings in the Head and Neck: When to Raise Concern for Possible Malignancy.

Proton arc therapy enables continuous treatment delivery while rotating the gantry. One of the key components in the proton arc system is the controller's design, which determines the irradiation sequence and gantry mechanical rotation. This study aims to develop a novel and open-access proton arc system controller (controller-SPArc) and comprehensively investigates the treatment delivery time in a relationship of different mechanical parameters. The controller-SPArc applied control theory to iteratively optimize and calculate the irradiation sequence across the control points to ensure an efficient treatment delivery while meeting the mechanical constraints. The calculation considers the parameters such as tolerance window, buffer window, and maximum acceleration and deceleration speed of the gantry. Five different disease sites, e.g., liver, head, and neck, intracranial, lung, and prostate cancer cases were used for testing purposes. Various parameters and settings were used to quantitatively investigate the dynamic spot-scanning proton arc (SPArc) treatment delivery time and total momentum changes. The result indicates that the significant impact of dynamic treatment delivery time comes from the buffer window setting relative to the tolerance window, in which a large buffer leads to a slower delivery process. On the other hand, the maximum acceleration and deceleration speed plays an important role in the treatment delivery efficiency if the buffer window occupies large portion of each tolerance window. Additionally, the buffer window setting also impacts the total momentum changes during the dynamic treatment delivery. The study introduced the first open-access controller-SPArc for dynamic treatment delivery simulation, allowing clinical users or investigators to adjust various machine parameters for testing purposes. This platform could serve as a foundation for testing future advancements in the dynamic SPArc technology, including hardware, system controller, and treatment planning optimization algorithm design.

Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy Considerations in Head and Neck Oncology.

Brachytherapy (Interventional Radiotherapy) for lip carcinoma: excellent local control, low toxicity profile, and high patient satisfaction - The Dutch experience from four brachytherapy-dedicated head and neck cancer centers.

Advanced Imaging of the Head and Neck: Review of Recent Developments.

Background C andida albicans is the predominant opportunistic pathogen causing oral candidiasis in immunocompromised head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Fluconazole (FLC) is commonly used for treatment and prophylaxis; however, persistent infections remain a clinical challenge during cancer therapy. We hypothesized that C. albicans survival under FLC exposure may be driven by the development of tolerance or resistance, accompanied by altered virulence traits. Methods In this study, we characterized FLC susceptibility and virulence profiles of clinical C. albicans isolates obtained from HNC patients. Results Most isolates were susceptible to FLC, but two tolerant phenotypes, moderate (MT) and heavy tolerance (HT), were identified. FLC prophylaxis did not significantly affect tolerance prevalence or severity. Both tolerant isolates exhibited upregulation of key resistance genes, ERG11. Under FLC exposure, the MT isolate modestly increased expression of ALS1 and SAP6, while downregulating other virulence genes, correlating with reduced adhesion and biofilm formation. Conversely, the HT isolate upregulated ALS3, HWP1, and SAP6, enhancing adhesion and sustaining biofilm integrity. Despite SAP6 upregulation in both, host cell cytotoxicity was similar. Conclusion These findings highlight adaptive mechanisms by which FLC-tolerant C. albicans retain pathogenicity under antifungal stress, posing potential challenges for clinical management in HNC patients.

Introduction Compared to other head and neck cancers, pharyngeal cancer (PC) has poorer survival, representing a significant health burden. This study aimed to assess the burden and trends of PC at global, regional, and national levels and analyze mortality-related factors. Methods Data on PC, including incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and death-related risk factors from 1990 to 2021, were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) were calculated to assess trends. Results In 2021, PC incidence was 169,820, with 98,435 deaths and 2,843,781 DALYs. Age-standardized rates for incidence, death, and DALYs were 1.93, 1.13, and 32.30 per 100,000, respectively. South Asia had the highest death and DALYs rates (3.23 and 93.00). Low-middle socio-demographic index (SDI) regions showed the highest death rate (2.19) and the greatest EAPC for death rates (0.684%). A positive correlation between SDI and death rates was observed globally (R = 0.26, p < 0.05), particularly in males (R = 0.3, p < 0.05), but not in females. Males exhibited a trend toward younger ages at death by aclohol, peaking in the 35–39-year group. Conclusion In 2021, global PC incidence, deaths, and DALYs increased significantly, with notable regional disparities, especially in low-middle SDI regions. Alcohol-related mortality disproportionately affected younger males. Strengthening oral health resources, controlling alcohol and tobacco use are essential to reducing the global PC burden.

Abstract Background: Sarcopenia is defined as a severe loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. It is emerging as an independent adverse prognostic factor in oncology, including among patients with head and neck cancers (HNCs). Aims and Objectives: To determine the impact of sarcopenia on survival in patients with HNC treated with definitive radiotherapy at our center between January 2015 and December 2017. The study also compared overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between patients with and without sarcopenia and assessed its association with radiation-induced toxicity. Methodology: This retrospective study included 236 patients with nonmetastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who received definitive radiotherapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy. Sarcopenia was evaluated using pretreatment computed tomography scans obtained for radiotherapy planning. The cross-sectional muscle area (CSA) of the skeletal muscle at the C3 vertebral level was used to estimate the CSA at L3, adjusted for height to calculate the lumbar skeletal muscle index (SMI, cm 2 /m 2 ). Gender-specific quartiles were used to define sarcopenia. Results: Sarcopenia cutoff values were SMI ≤29.4 cm 2 /m 2 (males) and ≤20.02 cm 2 /m 2 (females). Median OS and PFS were 56.7 months and 35.8 months in the sarcopenia group and 79.4 months and 64.5 months in the nonsarcopenia group ( P = 0.036, P = 0.030). Sarcopenia correlated significantly with age, body mass index, and World Health Organization performance status. The use of concurrent chemotherapy was significantly related with sarcopenia. Fatigue was the only acute toxicity significantly associated with sarcopenia. Conclusion: Sarcopenia was significantly associated with reduced overall and PFS in patients with HNC treated with definitive radiotherapy.

Laryngeal cancer has one of the highest mortality rates of all head and neck cancers. DACT1 is a cuproptosis-related gene in laryngeal cancer and serves as a risk factor for patient prognosis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of DACT1 on the malignant behavior and cuproptosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) cells. DACT1 expression in LSCC cells was measured using RT-qPCR and western blotting. To establish cuproptosis cell model, TU212 and TU686 cells were incubated with elesclomol (20nM) and CuCl2 (20nM) for 24h. Transfection of shRNA or pcDNA3.1 vectors was performed to interfere DACT1 expression. LY294002 (PI3K inhibitor) and 740Y-P (PI3K agonist) were used to silence and overexpress PI3K signaling in LSCC cells, respectively. A cuproptosis-specific inhibitor, tetrathiomolybdate, was used to suppress cuproptosis in LSCC cells. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion were assessed using CCK-8 assays, colony formation assays, Transwell migration, and Transwell invasion assays. Copper concentration and reactive oxygen species (ROS) level were also measured. Western blotting was performed to quantify protein levels of cuproptosis-related genes and factors involved in the PI3K/AKT pathway. DACT1 expression was upregulated in LSCC cells. DACT1 knockdown inhibited LSCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. DACT1 depletion enhanced cuproptosis, as evidenced by more pronounced decreases in cell viability, increased intracellular copper concentration and ROS levels, upregulation of HSP70, and downregulation of LIAS. Notably, treatment with the cuproptosis inhibitor tetrathiomolybdate reversed the pro-cuproptosis effects induced by DACT1 silencing. Furthermore, the silencing of DACT1 inactivated the PI3K/AKT signaling, as shown by reduced ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT. Conversely, DACT1 overexpression activated the PI3K/AKT pathway, an effect that was abolished by LY294002. Moreover, LY294002 reversed the promoting effects of DACT1 on LSCC cell malignancy and its inhibitory effects on cuproptosis. In contrast, activation of the PI3K signaling by 740Y-P reversed the enhancement of cuproptosis caused by DACT1 deficiency. DACT1 promotes the malignant behavior of LSCC cells and suppresses cuproptosis by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling.

Current radiotherapy for malignant tumors often adopts a "one-size-fits-all" approach, prescribing the same irradiation dose for patients with similar clinical indications. However, advancements in functional imaging allow for biologically individualized strategies, with dose distribution tailored to the specific tumor biology. This study proposes a novel approach to biologically individualized radiotherapy, exploiting the synergistic combination of the tumor clonogenic cell information from [18F]FDG PET images and radiosensitivity from [18F]fluoromisonidazole(FMISO) PET images. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) were analyzed. Using imaging biomarkers, individualized tumor profiles were obtained from oxygen partial pressure and clonogenic cell density maps derived from [18F]FMISO and [18F]FDG PET, respectively. Dose-escalated radiotherapy plans aiming at 95% tumor control probability (TCP) were generated using automated planning. Plans were assessed for clinical feasibility and expected TCP. Results: Planned dose distributions achieved greater than 90% TCP in all cases. All treatment plans met standard clinical feasibility criteria for the main organs-at-risk constraints, except for the few cases with significant target overlap, demonstrating the overall feasibility of the personalized strategy. Conclusion: The proposed biologically individualized treatment strategy demonstrated feasibility and clinical applicability. Combining [18F]FDG and [18F]FMISO PET imaging potentially shifts the success rate of HNSCC treatment from approximately 60% at 5 y, as reported in the literature, to a projected TCP of 90%. This treatment strategy holds promise for improving patient outcomes through more precise and effective treatment.