Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 362

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Unit of Radiation Oncology, Ospedale del Mare, ASL Napoli 1 Centro, 80147 Naples, Italy
Interests: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; radiotherapy in NSCLC; radiotherapy in SCLC; radiotherapy and imaging; radiomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Ospedale del Mare, 80147 Naples, Italy
Interests: head and neck cancer radiotherapy; cancer treatment in elderly; cancer and nutrition; radiomic; artificial intelligenge in head and neck cancer

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the second edition of our Special Issue “Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/cancers/special_issues/K8416L69RR).

Head and neck cancer is responsible for 4% of all malignancies and is responsible for over 650,000 cases and 330,000 deaths globally. A team of medical professionals, including oncologists, radiologists, and surgical oncologists, work together to manage these conditions. The treatment options for each case vary based on factors such as the cancer type and stage, patient preferences, and potential side effects.

Radiation therapy is a key treatment for head and neck cancer, which can occur in various sites in the head and neck. Radiotherapy can be used alone or with other treatments, such as surgery and chemotherapy, to destroy cancer cells and reduce symptoms. The benefits of radiotherapy include preserving organ function, controlling pain, and being an effective option for patients unable to undergo surgery, although there can be side effects such as a dry mouth and skin irritation, which can be managed with supportive care.  The use of AI in head and neck cancer radiotherapic treatment has shown promising results in optimizing and standardizing the patient workflow. AI algorithms can help identify patterns and predict oncological and toxicity outcomes, leading to better clinical decision-making.

Chemoradiotherapy is currently the accepted treatment for locally advanced head and neck cancer, with the concomitant approach showing an increase in curability. HPV infection, alcohol, and tobacco use are recognized risk factors for head and neck cancers. HPV-related cancers tend to have a more favorable prognosis, meaning that intense treatments may be unnecessary. Nevertheless, recent developments in radiotherapy, particularly intensity-modulated radiotherapy, molecular imaging-guided radiotherapy, adaptive radiotherapy, and proton therapy, can reduce the long-term toxicity of radiation therapy. Lastly, the immune system plays a vital role in fighting these cancers, and PD-1 blockade treatment has shown promising results for recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancers. In this Special Issue, we invite authors to submit research papers, reviews, and professional opinions that discuss the topic of locally advanced head and neck cancers.

Dr. Cesare Guida
Dr. Ida D'Onofrio
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
  • radiotherapy
  • biomarker
  • chemoradiotherapy
  • head and neck cancers

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 789 KiB  
Article
Feasibility of Adjuvant Radiotherapy or Chemoradiation for Elderly Patients with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck, and Its Correlation with Different Comorbidity Scores: A Retrospective Cohort Study
by Christoph Suess, Matthias Hipp, Tobias Ettl, Julian Kuenzel, Julia Maurer, Anna Ratzisberger, Fabian Baier, Felix Steger, Oliver Koelbl and Matthias Hautmann
Cancers 2025, 17(14), 2283; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17142283 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 153
Abstract
Background: With aging populations, the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) among elderly patients is increasing. Although adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiation is a well-established component of multimodal treatment, elderly patients remain underrepresented in clinical trials. This study [...] Read more.
Background: With aging populations, the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) among elderly patients is increasing. Although adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiation is a well-established component of multimodal treatment, elderly patients remain underrepresented in clinical trials. This study evaluates the feasibility of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemoradiation in patients over 70 years with SCCHN and explores the correlation between treatment feasibility and various comorbidity scores. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients over 70 years of age who received adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiation at the University Hospital Regensburg between 2004 and 2018. A total of 71 patients, with a median age of 75 years, were included. The majority were classified as UICC stage IVa. Median follow-up was 27 months. Results: Sixty-two patients completed treatment without interruption, and sixty-five received at least 95% of the prescribed radiation dose. The median total dose was 64 Gy. Acute toxicity of grade III or IV (CTC) occurred in 37 patients. Local tumor control rates were 99% at 12 months, 88% at 24 months, and 76% at 5 years. Overall survival rates were 87% at 12 months, 67% at 24 months, and 41% at 60 months, with a median overall survival of 51 months. The Elixhauser Comorbidity Score showed significant predictive value for treatment feasibility (p = 0.006). Conclusions: Adjuvant radiotherapy and chemoradiation are feasible and effective treatment options for elderly patients with SCCHN. The favorable local and locoregional control rates reported here suggest, in line with other recent reports in the literature, that age alone should not be a justification for treatment de-intensification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (2nd Edition))
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