Recent Advances in the Diagnosis and Management of Head and Neck Cancers
A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 118
Special Issue Editor
Interests: head and neck cancer; oropharyngeal cancer; thyroid cancer
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Over the past several years, the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancers have advanced significantly, driven by a better understanding of tumor biology and improvements in technology. Early detection has benefited from enhanced molecular profiling and biomarker research, which allow clinicians to characterize tumors more precisely and, in some cases, avoid unnecessary surgery—such as when molecular tests help stratify risk in thyroid nodules, or when ctDNA is used prospectively to inform further need for treatments in clinical trials.
Treatment paradigms continue to focus on approaches that maximize tumor control while reducing long-term toxicity. Minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgeries now enable tumor removal with less morbidity and faster recovery. Radiation and chemotherapy techniques have become more targeted, and efforts continue to reduce their side effects, which is especially important for younger patients with HPV-driven disease. Immunotherapy has emerged as a major advance: PD-1 inhibitors such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab have improved outcomes for patients with recurrent or metastatic cancers and are now part of first-line therapy in selected patients, alongside the incorporation of pembrolizumab in a neoadjuvant/adjuvant paradigm in resectable disease. Meanwhile, new targeted therapies, antibody–drug conjugates, and combination regimens are actively under investigation to overcome resistance and broaden treatment options, both in recurrent/metastatic as well as locally advanced settings.
Dr. Jessica Lyn Geiger
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)
- advanced thyroid carcinoma
- diagnosis and detection
- salivary gland malignancies
- radiotherapy
- neoadjuvant immunotherapy
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