JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery

08/19/2026

Among patients with recurrent, unresectable, or metastatic , this nonrandomized trial investigated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of pembrolizumab plus quad-shot radiotherapy (QSRT). The overall response rate was 47%, with median progression-free survival of 9.2 months and median overall survival of 14.9 months. Adverse events were moderate and primarily related to gastrointestinal and dermatologic effects. While these findings support the potential benefit of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors and QSRT, randomized clinical trials are required to determine comparative effectiveness and establish clinical guidelines.

This nonrandomized clinical trial examines the efficacy and toxic effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors in combination with quad-shot radiotherapy for patients with recurrent, unresectable, or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

08/18/2026

In a multicenter cohort of patients with type 2 , use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) was associated with increased risk of smell and taste disturbances compared with other antidiabetic medications. Over a 2-year follow-up, GLP-1 RA users had a higher incidence of both anosmia and parageusia, indicating potential involvement of both peripheral chemosensory and central neural pathways. These findings highlight monitoring for sensory disturbances may be warranted in GLP-1 RA users, though absolute risk is low.

This cohort study reports on long-term use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and whether it is associated with an increased risk of smell and taste disturbances.

08/17/2026

Among children with cleft palate with or without cleft lip who underwent primary palatoplasty before age 15 months, this longitudinal cohort study from the UK indicates that incremental delays within the early repair window may be associated with modest increases in passive cleft speech characteristics at age 36 months. Passive cleft speech characteristics, which are influenced by surgical timing, can affect early speech development and velopharyngeal function, supporting ongoing adherence to early surgical repair when medically appropriate. Early and ongoing speech monitoring is recommended to guide postoperative speech therapy in this population.

This cohort study investigates differences in month-by-month timing of primary palatoplasty, prior to 15 months of age and speech outcomes at ages 18 to 24 months and at age 36 months, and the prevalence of various cleft speech characteristics.

08/16/2026

Greater area-level socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with clinically meaningful lower pretreatment cancer-specific quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer, particularly with respect to eating, swallowing, and to***co use symptoms. Addressing social determinants of health before treatment initiation may be important to improving care equity and optimizing patient-centered outcomes in this population.

This cross-sectional study examines associations between area deprivation index in patients’ area of residence and quality of life among patients with head and neck cancer.

08/15/2026

In a nationwide nested case-control study of adults with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps ( ), higher oral corticosteroid exposure—specifically >90 days of use or >1.0 g prednisolone-equivalents per year—was associated with increased risks of systemic adverse events. These included avascular bone necrosis, osteoporosis, pneumonia, and some cardiometabolic complications. Prescription frequency was not independently linked with systemic risk, reinforcing that total cumulative exposure is the primary determinant. These findings support minimizing cumulative oral corticosteroid exposure and prioritizing steroid-sparing strategies for long-term CRSwNP management.

This case-control study reports on the use of oral corticosteroids and long-term adverse event risk in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.

08/14/2026

A 52-year-old male with a history of hyperlipidemia presented with left-sided nasal congestion. What is your diagnosis?

A 52-year-old male with a history of hyperlipidemia presented with left-sided nasal congestion. What is your diagnosis?

08/13/2026

In patients with resectable , neoadjuvant was associated with substantially higher rates of deep pathologic response than neoadjuvant immunotherapy alone.

Treatment was generally well tolerated, and these findings support prospective trials to determine whether higher pathologic response translates into improved survival.

https://ja.ma/4xD8L6u

08/13/2026

In patients with , higher serum programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels were associated with aggressive disease and with aggressive features including macroscopic extrathyroidal extension and aggressive histology.

These findings indicate that serum PD-L1 may complement tissue-based risk assessment when evaluating patients with higher-risk disease.

https://ja.ma/4zjMV9K

08/12/2026

In , a structured program was associated with fewer door openings and phone interruptions during critical phases, while short-term clinical outcomes were unchanged.

https://ja.ma/4q7YcFK

08/12/2026

In locally advanced , perioperative was cost-effective only for patients with programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 combined positive score >10, supporting biomarker-stratified immunotherapy use.

https://ja.ma/4q7YgFu