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Cancers
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Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention Strategies in Head and Neck...
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Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention Strategies in Head and Neck Cancer

A Special Issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694) belonging to the section "Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2027 | Viewed by 2386

Editor

Prof. Dr. Alan Roger Santos-Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Oral Diagnosis, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Av. Limeira, 901-CEP, Piracicaba 13414-903, Brazil
Interests: head and neck oncology; oral medicine; oral oncology; oral potentially malignant disorders; early diagnosis of cancer; supportive care in oncology; head and neck toxicities of cancer therapy; global health; health policy; financial toxicity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Head and neck cancer remains a major global health challenge, representing a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and ranking among the most common malignancies in men across several regions, including the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Its multifactorial etiology, encompassing well-established risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, occupational ultraviolet exposure, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, underscores the complexity of prevention and early detection strategies.

Despite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, a substantial proportion of patients continue to be diagnosed at advanced stages, requiring multimodal treatment strategies, including surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapies, and targeted agents. While these approaches have improved disease control, they are frequently associated with significant physical, psychological, social, and financial toxicities that adversely impact quality of life.

This Special Issue will provide a comprehensive and contemporary overview of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies in head and neck cancer. We welcome contributions that address risk reduction, early detection, screening, management of potentially malignant disorders, optimization of treatment-related toxicities, survivorship care, and health system interventions. An emphasis will be placed on evidence-informed and globally applicable approaches that can improve patient outcomes across diverse healthcare settings.

Prof. Dr. Alan Roger Santos-Silva
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • head and neck cancer
  • oral cavity cancer
  • oral squamous cell carcinoma
  • oral potentially malignant disorders
  • oral leukoplakia
  • erythroplakia
  • proliferative verrucous leukoplakia
  • oral mucositis
  • radiodermatitis
  • osteoradionecrosis
  • radiation caries
  • trismus
  • quality of life
  • survival

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

15 pages, 285 KB  
Review
Financial Toxicity During Active Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer: Clinical Burden, Structural Determinants, and Supportive Care Perspectives
by Ana Carolina Prado-Ribeiro, Luciana Estevam Simonato, Manoela Carrera, Thaís Bianca Brandão, Manoela Domingues Martins and Thomas P. Sollecito
Cancers 2026, 18(14), 2248; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18142248 - 14 Jul 2026
Viewed by 524
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is associated with substantial morbidity, functional impairment, and represents a substantial socioeconomic burden worldwide. Although advances in surgery, radiotherapy (RT), and systemic therapies have improved oncologic outcomes, treatment-related toxicities frequently overlap with profound economic consequences for patients [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is associated with substantial morbidity, functional impairment, and represents a substantial socioeconomic burden worldwide. Although advances in surgery, radiotherapy (RT), and systemic therapies have improved oncologic outcomes, treatment-related toxicities frequently overlap with profound economic consequences for patients and caregivers. Financial toxicity (FT), defined as the objective financial burden and subjective financial distress associated with cancer care, has emerged as a clinically relevant determinant of treatment adherence, quality of life (QoL), and survival. In HNC, FT appears particularly critical during active treatment, when multimodal therapies, nutritional compromise, work interruption, transportation costs, and supportive care needs converge. Methods: This structured narrative review synthesizes current literature regarding FT during active treatment for HNC, focusing on conceptual definitions, measurement approaches, temporal dynamics, clinical and psychosocial consequences, and health system determinants. The review was conducted according to the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) framework using searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar. Results: Available evidence suggests that FT may emerge early during treatment and evolve dynamically throughout the care trajectory. Lower socioeconomic status, treatment intensity, work interruption, and limited social support have been reported in association with increased FT. FT has also been linked to worse health-related QoL, higher symptom burden, treatment interruptions, hospitalization, and reduced survival, although the limited number of studies and methodological heterogeneity preclude definitive conclusions. Emerging evidence suggests that FT may be partially modifiable through interventions such as financial counseling and patient navigation. Conclusions: Future research should prioritize prospective and interventional designs using standardized multidimensional instruments capable of capturing both objective and subjective domains of FT. Integrating routine FT assessment into supportive oncology workflows may help identify vulnerable patients and support more equitable, patient-centered HNC care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention Strategies in Head and Neck Cancer)
10 pages, 251 KB  
Review
Evolving Principles for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Screening Programs
by Alan Roger Santos-Silva, Joel B. Epstein, Luiz P. Kowalski, Thaís Cristina Esteves-Pereira, Ana Carolina Prado-Ribeiro, Manoela Domingues Martins, Marcio Ajudarte Lopes and Thomas P. Sollecito
Cancers 2026, 18(9), 1462; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18091462 - 2 May 2026
Viewed by 1210
Abstract
Purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) carries a substantial burden in low- and middle-income countries as well as underserved subpopulations within high-income settings, where structural barriers contribute to worse outcomes. While evidence supports targeted screening of high-risk groups, practical guidance for designing [...] Read more.
Purpose: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) carries a substantial burden in low- and middle-income countries as well as underserved subpopulations within high-income settings, where structural barriers contribute to worse outcomes. While evidence supports targeted screening of high-risk groups, practical guidance for designing organized, quality-assured programs remains limited. This review proposes a framework to translate contemporary cancer-screening principles into operational criteria for OSCC. Methods: A review following the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles was conducted. Conceptual papers, international evaluations, implementation studies, and programmatic guidance were included. The evidence was synthesized narratively, with emphasis on contemporary cancer-screening principles, implementation frameworks, and their applicability to OSCC. Results: Clinical oral examination can improve the detection of OSCC in early stages and reduce mortality among high-risk groups when embedded in coordinated care pathways. Effective programs require governance structures, screening policies, risk-stratified approaches, and robust information systems capable of call-recall, referral tracking, and quality monitoring. Dental schools and academic clinics might play a role as regional hubs and represent feasible anchors for programs within mixed health systems. Conclusions: Aligning core OSCC-screening principles with operational enablers offers a practical pathway to develop context-appropriate programs that strengthen capacity, promote equity, and generate evidence for responsible scale-up. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention Strategies in Head and Neck Cancer)
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