Surgery in Head and Neck Cancer

Dear Colleagues,

Head and neck cancer (HNC) management is incredibly challenging, and despite innovation in radiation oncology and the introduction of immunotherapy in the metastatic setting, surgery is still one of the key modalities used in HNC treatment. Recent advances, a greater awareness of the short- and long-term toxicities associated with non-surgical modalities, and newer technologies that permit minimal access resections have led to a resurgence in surgery.

The aim of surgery with curative intent in HNC is complete microscopic surgical excision. Excision margins are a consistent prognostic factor and a major consideration for more radical post-operative adjuvant therapy (and therefore more attendant morbidity), with the possible exception of thyroid cancer. Whilst there has been considerable progress with less invasive surgical access techniques, the underlying principle of profound importance in HNC is that surgical resection achieves complete and microscopic clearance of a tumor with an appropriate safety margin according to the type, site, and stage of the cancer.

HNC often requires complex, labor-intensive surgeries, especially when free flap reconstruction is required. Enhanced recovery is important in this patient population but evidence-based protocols on perioperative care for this population are lacking. Research on this field is also welcome.

We hope to collect a broad collection of high-quality articles that demonstrate the powerful research of scientists working in the field of head and neck cancer.

Prof. Dr. Oreste Gallo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 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.

• head and neck cancer
• HNSCC
• surgical research and technologies
• robotic surgery