Head & Neck Cancer

Patients with head and neck cancer may soon have more effective, less toxic choices as immunotherapy moves into first-line treatment and novel targeted drugs are explored.

Compared with the general population, men and women with type 2 diabetes face greater risk of developing certain cancers, such as colorectal, kidney, liver and more.

This essay was written by Maria Campos nominating Mary Kernan, RN, OCN, of Smilow Cancer Center At Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut, for CURE®'s Extraordinary Healer® Award.

Here are the top 5 CURE stories for April 2019.

Use of two medicated mouthwashes reduced pain from oral mucositis during the first four hours after administration; however, the results were not deemed clinically different when compared with placebo.

In this Special Edition of CURE Talks Cancer, we chat with Poison drummer and throat cancer survivor Rikki Rockett about his cancer journey and why it's important to "Open Up and Say... Ahh!" during Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

From artificial intelligence to a surprise FDA resignation, check out this week’s quick overview of what is making headlines in the cancer space.

A five-year lesson in cancer, worry and hope.

The Food and Drug Administration granted a priority review to the supplemental biologics license application for Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for the first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

A recent meta-analysis has found no noticeable difference in immunotherapy’s efficacy based on patient sex.

Survivor diagnosed with second cancer after surgeon spots a lump on her throat while watching TV.

Immunotherapy may lead to a major change in how the treatment of metastatic recurrent head and neck cancer is approached, according to Barbara Burtness, M.D., a professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine.

Despite associated toxicities, cisplatin chemotherapy induced superior efficacy compared with a new alternative among patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma.

The FDA has granted an accelerated approval to larotrectinib for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with solid tumors that have an NTRK gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and have no satisfactory alternative treatments or that have progressed following treatment.

Patients who received chemotherapy, actively smoked and drank alcohol, and were diagnosed with head and neck cancer reported significantly higher rates of opiate use, according to study results presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2018 Palliative and Supportive Care Symposium.

SCOTT WIESKAMP KNEW THE spot on his tonsil wasn’t normal.

In this week’s episode of CURE Talks Cancer, we spoke with Jill Kelly – wife of Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly – about his bout with head and neck cancer, and how she copes as a caregiver.

Patients with head and neck cancer appeared to be receptive to lung cancer screening, according to recent research performed at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

To combat the psychological effects from a lymphedema diagnosis, patients need to be equipped with the knowledge and understanding of what the condition is and how it is treated.

The Food and Drug Administration has granted LOXO-292 a breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of patients with advanced RET fusion–positive thyroid cancer who require systemic therapy, have progressed on prior treatment, and have no other acceptable alternative treatment options, according to a statement from Loxo Oncology, the developer of the selective RET inhibitor.

Patients with cancer are 10 times less likely to have an opioid-associated death, according to recent research conducted at Duke University.

Immunotherapy pioneers James P. Allison and Dr. Tasuku Honjo have won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research that eventually led to the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer.

In this episode of CURE Talks Cancer, we spoke with Elizabeth Langdon, vice president of strategic communications and development at the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, about how the organization helps to raise awareness for the prevention, early detection and research of head and neck cancer.

The mouth is also part of the body, and yet, it is only in the past few years that oncologists have begun recommending patients see a dentist before they begin treatment to be sure the teeth and gums are in good shape.

The FDA has granted LOXO-292 a breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of patients with RET fusion–positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or RET-mutant medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). This designation will expedite the development and review of the drug.