Contemporary Head and Neck Oncology: Progress, Clinical Dilemmas, and Future Directions
A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Therapy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 21
Special Issue Editors
Interests: nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cancer; head and neck oncology; otology; rhinology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: cancer
Interests: radiation oncology; head & neck cancer; supportive care in cancer; low level laser therapy (photobiomodulation); new techniques in radiation oncology (IMRT, VMAT); cancer-treatment toxicity
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Head and neck oncology is undergoing a transformative phase, driven by advances in molecular biology, diagnostic precision, and therapeutic strategies within an increasingly multidisciplinary framework. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the evolving landscape, from early diagnosis to the management of recurrent and metastatic disease.
A key focus will be the integration of biomarkers and molecular profiling—envisioned as a “molecular passport”—to refine prognostication and guide personalized treatment, particularly in patients who are not candidates for surgery. Surgical approaches continue to play a pivotal role: while minimally invasive techniques, including transoral robotic surgery and transoral laser microsurgery, have expanded the therapeutic armamentarium, open head and neck surgery remains a cornerstone, especially in advanced-stage disease.
The balance between organ preservation and oncologic radicality represents a major area of ongoing debate. This Issue will specifically address the comparison between open surgical techniques and conservative strategies, highlighting potential trade-offs between functional outcomes and survival, particularly in laryngeal carcinoma.
The Issue will also explore non-surgical approaches, including immunotherapy and its predictive factors in recurrent/metastatic settings, as well as treatment de-escalation in HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer. Emerging radiotherapy techniques, including brachytherapy, and the role of salvage surgery in selected cases will also be discussed.
This Special Issue is intentionally designed to be broad and multidisciplinary, with the goal of engaging specialists across the entire spectrum of head and neck oncology, including otolaryngologists, head and neck surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, and molecular biologists. By encompassing the full disease trajectory—from diagnosis and biological characterization to treatment strategies and recurrent/metastatic settings—it aims to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and provide a comprehensive platform to advance personalized and evidence-based care for patients with head and neck cancers.
Dr. Giovanni Motta
Dr. Piero Giuseppe Meliante
Prof. Dr. René-Jean Bensadoun
Guest Editors
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-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 oncology
- clinical dilemmas
- future directions
- diagnosis
- biological characterization
- treatment strategies
- recurrent/metastatic settings
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