Head and Neck Cancer News

Smoking Cessation Reduces Risk of Head and Neck Cancer (November 3, 2009)

Compared with people who continue to smoke, people who stop smoking have a 30% lower risk of head and neck cancer within one to four years of quitting, and a 77% lower risk after 20 years. Quitting alcohol also reduces the risk of head and neck cancer,... Continue Reading

Differences in HPV Rates May Contribute to Racial Differences in Head and Neck Cancer Survival (July 30, 2009)

Among patients with head and neck cancer, the better survival among white patients than black patients appears to be due at least in part to the higher prevalence of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer in white patients. These results were published in Cancer... Continue Reading

Oral Spray Reduces Mouth Sores (July 21, 2009)

Among patients treated with radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, mouth sores (oral mucositis) were reduced by use of an oral spray containing epidermal growth factor (EGF). These results were published in Cancer. Mouth sores are one of the most... Continue Reading

Combination of Avastin® and Tarceva® Shows Promise in Head and Neck Cancer (March 5, 2009)

Combination of Avastin® and Tarceva® Shows Promise in Head and Neck Cancer According to the results of a Phase I/II clinical trial, treatment of recurrent or metastatic squamous cell cancer of the head or neck with a combination of two targeted therapies-Avastin®... Continue Reading

Sequential and Alternating Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Similarly Effective for Larynx Cancer (February 2, 2009)

Sequential and Alternating Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Similarly Effective for Larynx Cancer Among patients with operable, advanced squamous cell cancer of the larynx or hypopharynx, two different approaches to the delivery of chemotherapy and... Continue Reading

Head and Neck Cancer Is Treatable in Elderly Patients (November 26, 2008)

Head and Neck Cancer Is Treatable in Elderly Patients Patients 80 years or older with Stage I-II head and neck cancer have good outcomes following surgery or radiation therapy, according to the results of a study that appeared in an early online publication... Continue Reading

Periodic CT Detects Pulmonary Metastases among Head and Neck Cancer Patients (October 28, 2008)

Periodic CT Detects Pulmonary Metastases among Head and Neck Cancer Patients Among patients with head and neck cancer who are at a high risk for metastases, periodic computed tomography (CT) scans can be highly effective for detecting pulmonary metastases. Head... Continue Reading

Proteins in Saliva May Detect Oral Cancer (October 3, 2008)

Proteins in Saliva May Detect Oral Cancer Proteins that can be detected within saliva may be effective in identifying the presence of oral cancer. These results were recently published in Clinical Cancer Research. Oral cancer refers to cancer that originates... Continue Reading

Adding Erbitux® to Radiation Improves Survival in Head and Neck Cancer (September 23, 2008)

Adding Erbitux® to Radiation Improves Survival in Head and Neck Cancer The addition of the targeted agent Erbitux® (cetuximab) to radiation therapy significantly improves survival compared with radiation therapy only. These results were recently presented... Continue Reading

Advexin® Improves Survival in Head and Neck Cancer (July 29, 2008)

Advexin® Improves Survival in Head and Neck Cancer The targeted agent Advexin (p53 tumor suppressor therapy) improves survival compared with methotrexate among head and neck cancer patients with the p53 biomarkers. These results were recently presented... Continue Reading