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Cancers
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Current Progress in the Clinical Management and Basic Science of...
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Current Progress in the Clinical Management and Basic Science of Head and Neck Cancer

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 2398

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Takumi Kumai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department Otolaryngol Head & Neck Surg, Asahikawa Med University, Midorigaoka East 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa 0788510, Japan
Interests: head and neck cancer; immunotherapy; chemoradiotherapy; surgery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Every year, more than 800,000 patients are newly diagnosed with HNSCC worldwide and 450,000 patients with HNSCC die. Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and viral infections are recognized as they major factors that can cause HNSCC. In addition to surgery and chemoradiotherapy, molecule-targeted therapy and immunotherapy are the main treatment options for HNSCC. As this area of basic and clinical research has rapidly progressed in recent years, it is important that clinicians understand the basic biology of HNSCC so that they are able to choose an appropriate therapy in the upcoming era of personalized medicine. In this Special Issue of Cancers, we welcome both original research and reviews regarding clinical advances in the treatment of HNSCC as well as basic research on its carcinogenesis, the tumor microenvironment and microbiome, and antitumor immunity. Reports of clinical experience or case series are also acceptable if they are related to particularly interesting topics within the field.

Dr. Takumi Kumai
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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-blind 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
  • immunotherapy
  • chemoradiotherapy
  • surgery
  • molecular biology
  • oncogenesis
  • cancer immunology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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15 pages, 2026 KiB  
Article
Hypoxia-Targeted Immunotherapy with PD-1 Blockade in Head and Neck Cancer
by Risa Wakisaka, Hidekiyo Yamaki, Michihisa Kono, Takahiro Inoue, Ryosuke Sato, Hiroki Komatsuda, Kenzo Ohara, Akemi Kosaka, Takayuki Ohkuri, Toshihiro Nagato, Kan Kishibe, Koh Nakayama, Hiroya Kobayashi, Takumi Kumai and Miki Takahara
Cancers 2024, 16(17), 3013; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16173013 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1287
Abstract
Intratumoral hypoxia is associated with tumor progression, aggressiveness, and therapeutic resistance in several cancers. Hypoxia causes cancer cells to experience replication stress, thereby activating DNA damage and repair pathways. MutT homologue-1 (MTH1, also known as NUDT1), a member of the Nudix family, maintains [...] Read more.
Intratumoral hypoxia is associated with tumor progression, aggressiveness, and therapeutic resistance in several cancers. Hypoxia causes cancer cells to experience replication stress, thereby activating DNA damage and repair pathways. MutT homologue-1 (MTH1, also known as NUDT1), a member of the Nudix family, maintains the genomic integrity and viability of tumor cells in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Although hypoxia is associated with poor prognosis and can cause therapeutic resistance by regulating the microenvironment, it has not been considered a treatable target in cancer. This study aimed to investigate whether hypoxia-induced MTH1 is a useful target for immunotherapy and whether hypoxic conditions influence the antitumor activity of immune cells. Our results showed that MTH1 expression was elevated under hypoxic conditions in head and neck cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we identified a novel MTH1-targeting epitope peptide that can activate peptide-specific CD4+ helper T cells with cytotoxic activity. The proliferation and cytotoxic activity of T cells were maintained under hypoxic conditions, and PD-1 blockade further augmented the cytotoxicity. These results indicate that MTH1-targeted immunotherapy combined with checkpoint blockade can be an effective strategy for the treatment of hypoxic tumors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Progress in the Clinical Management and Basic Science of Head and Neck Cancer)
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30 pages, 1066 KiB  
Systematic Review
Beyond Conventional Treatments: The Role of Complementary Therapies in Head and Neck Cancer
by Barbara Verro, Simona Fiumara, Giuseppe Saraniti, Gaetano Ottoveggio and Carmelo Saraniti
Cancers 2025, 17(8), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17081269 - 9 Apr 2025
Viewed by 657
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Head and neck cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, with high mortality and significant treatment-related side effects. Conventional therapies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have improved survival but often have serious consequences for patients’ quality of life. For this [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Head and neck cancer is one of the most common cancers globally, with high mortality and significant treatment-related side effects. Conventional therapies, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have improved survival but often have serious consequences for patients’ quality of life. For this reason, there is growing interest in complementary therapies such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, cannabinoids, traditional Chinese medicine, and mind-body therapies. Methods: This review was conducted through a systematic analysis of the scientific literature available on PubMed and Scopus, selecting studies about the use of alternative therapies in patients with head and neck cancer according to strict criteria. Results: Acupuncture has shown benefits in the management of xerostomia and dysphagia, while some herbal medicines have shown potential anticancer effects, although with limitations related to bioavailability. Vitamins and antioxidants showed mixed results: some studies suggest a protective effect, while others report a possible increased risk of cancer progression. Cannabinoids are a controversial topic, with possible palliative benefits but also a higher risk of head and neck cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine and mind-body therapies, such as yoga, have shown positive effects on patients’ well-being, although their direct impact on cancer progression remains uncertain. Conclusions: Alternative therapies could be a useful support in managing symptoms and improving the quality of life patients with head and neck cancer. However, solid scientific evidence on their effectiveness and safety is still lacking. Rigorous clinical studies are needed to assess their therapeutic potential and define a safe integration into multidisciplinary cancer management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Progress in the Clinical Management and Basic Science of Head and Neck Cancer)
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