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Head & Neck Network is an online and open access platform dedicated to raising awareness and providing reliable, verified information about head and neck cancers.

09/14/2026

BREAKTHROUGH FOR HPV-UNRELATED HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

No more options after chemo and immunotherapy? A new bispecific antibody is changing the game for HPV-unrelated head and neck cancer.

Patients with HPV-unrelated recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) often face rapid progression and very limited options after platinum-based chemotherapy and PD inhibitors. This group represents ∼75% of all cases and has the poorest prognosis.

New hope from ASCO 2026:
amivantamab.

Amivantamab is a first-in-class fully-human bispecific antibody.
The designation is supported by the OrigAMI-4 study - an international trial in 11 countries presented at ASCO Chicago:
In 102 heavily pretreated patients, treatment led to tumor reduction or disappearance in 43 patients: 28 with significant tumor shrinkage and 15 with complete disappearance.
What’s next:
The ongoing Phase 3 OrigAMI-5 (NCT07276399) is now testing subcutaneous amivantamab + pembrolizumab + carboplatin vs. standard 5FU + pembrolizumab + platinum as first-line therapy for HPV-unrelated R/M HNSCC.

Source: Johnson & Johnson / FDA announcement + OrigAMI-4 data ASCO 2026
Read more: morningstar.com

09/11/2026

HOW METASTASIS HAPPENS?

Video source: oncodailynews

09/09/2026

10 EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF H&N CANCER

Head and neck cancer is often silent until it’s advanced.

As an oncologist, i see too many cases diagnosed late, when treatment is more complex.

These 10 signs are your body’s early alarm. Don’t ignore them for more than 3 weeks.

Save this carousel - it could save a life.

👇 Tell me in the comments: Did you know HPV can cause throat cancer?

09/07/2026

LESS RADIATION, SAME EFFICACY? FOR HPV POSITIVE THROAT CANCER, IT MAY NOW BE POSSIBLE

Until now, patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) have received a one-size-fits-all regimen of 70 Gray (Gy) of radiation therapy. Effective, but with severe long-term morbidity: risk of osteoradionecrosis requiring jaw resection, significant weight loss requiring feeding tube placement, and long-term dysphagia.
What if we could give less radiation to those who don’t need it?
On September 1st, 2026, the U.S. FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to JBS-003 (18F-fluoromisonidazole, 18F-FMISO), a first-in-class hypoxia PET tracer developed by Juniper Biosciences in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).

JBS-003 is a precision molecular imaging agent that identifies tumor hypoxia, a known biomarker of radioresistance. With a FMISO PET scan performed at week 2 of treatment, clinicians can risk-stratify patients:
• Hypoxic tumors -> continue with standard 70 Gy
• Non-hypoxic tumors (approximately 80% of HPV-positive OPC cases) -> may safely undergo de-escalated radiation therapy from 70 Gy to 30 Gy, a >50% dose reduction.

This is still an investigational approach, currently being evaluated in the ongoing randomized Phase 3. It is not yet FDA-approved, but
the direction is clear: from a one-size-fits-all approach to personalized, hypoxia-guided radiotherapy.

For further reading - original source:
drugs.com

Oral Cancer Foundation Oral Cancer Institute

09/04/2026

THE NOSE THAT SAVES LIVES - MEET CALLIE 🐾

Did you see what happens at stand 4?
In this video is Callie, a Cocker Spaniel from the team, the first dogs in the UK being trained to sniff out bowel cancer from a urine sample.

Here’s the scene: a training room, 4 interactive stands, only one positive sample.
Callie sniffs stand 1, stand 2, stand 3... then she gets to stand 4 and freezes.
That’s her unmistakable signal. A stand and stare. She locks onto the sample, tail straight, and then her signature tippy taps begin - those little excited paws. She’s telling her trainer Mark: “It’s here. I’m absolutely sure.”

That stand holds just 2ml of urine from a patient with stage 1 bowel cancer. A scent we could never detect, but for her, it’s crystal clear. And the most incredible part is she’s trained to ignore all the other samples, even those from people with Crohn’s, IBD or diverticulitis.

This project, launched in 2024 with The Open University, could change everything: a non-invasive, fast and early test that starts with the most powerful sensor in the world. A dog’s nose.

Today Callie didn’t just find a sample. She showed us what the future of prevention could look like.
Good girl. ❤️

Video credit:

09/02/2026

WARNING 8 SIGNS OF TONSIL CANCER

Don’t Ignore the Signals!
Signs and symptoms of tonsil cancer include:
* Bad breath (halitosis)
* Sore throat that won’t go away
* Blood in your saliva
* Difficulty swallowing, speaking or chewing
* Ear pain
* Mouth pain
* Sores in the back of your mouth that don’t heal
* Swollen lymph nodes in your neck (cervical lymphadenopathy)
Early detection can save lives!
If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, consult with a specialist

08/31/2026

POLYPHENOL AND EXERCISE INDUCED MOLECULAR CROSSTALK: A NEW FRONTIER IN BRAIN FUNCTION AND HEAD AND NECK CANCER THERAPY

A study published in Frontiers by
XiuLei Mao and Sha Yang studies the incidence of polyphenols
in head and neck cancer.

Polyphenols are naturally occurring micronutrients found exclusively in plant-based foods (herbs and spices, fruits, nuts and seeds, vegetables, cocoa powder and coffee)

Emerging evidence highlights the synergistic potential of polyphenols and exercise in modulating molecular pathways critical for brain function, tumor suppression, and healthy aging. Both interventions independently influence oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, metabolic regulation, and neuroplasticity—key processes implicated in head and neck cancers (HNCs) development, neurodegeneration, and lifespan determination. Recent studies reveal that polyphenols, through their antioxidant and epigenetic-modifying properties, enhance neuronal resilience, suppress tumorigenesis, and improve metabolic homeostasis. Simultaneously, exercise activates signaling cascades, promoting neurogenesis, immune modulation, and anti-cancer effects. The molecular crosstalk between polyphenol intake and physical activity appears to amplify protective mechanisms, offering novel therapeutic strategies for brain health preservation, HNCs management, and metabolic optimization. The review critically examines the interconnected pathways influenced by polyphenols and exercise, their combined impact on brain function and tumor suppression, and discusses the translational potential for extending healthy lifespan through integrated lifestyle interventions.
When combined, polyphenols and exercise exhibit a synergistic effect, amplifying protective mechanisms against neurodegeneration, head and neck cancers, and age-related metabolic dysfunctions.

Full article: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1624047/full

08/26/2026

10 TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS

Cancer affects not only the person diagnosed but also the people who care about that person. Caregivers to someone with cancer spend an average of 8 hours per day providing care to their loved one. The demands of caregiving depend on several different things — the stage of disease, the type of treatment, symptoms and side effects experienced, and more.

If you’re stepping into the caregiver role for the first time, you may have questions such as:

What should I do now? Where do I start?
How can I help?
Can I manage this new role with my other responsibilities?
Will I be able to find time for self-care?

Here are 10 tips to help you find balance, support, and connection

Source: cancersupportcommunity.org

08/24/2026

NOVEL THERAPY FOR PET CATS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER COULD HELP HUMANS TOO

Researchers have reported results from the first-ever clinical trial of a new class of targeted therapy in pet cats with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)—a cancer which is notoriously deadly and difficult to treat. Publishing in the Cell Press journal Cancer Cell on August 28, the study found that 35% of the cats who received treatment had their disease controlled with minimal side effects—and the drug will likely be effective for humans with HNSCC as well.
This drug, which was initially conceptualized to treat human head and neck cancers, is the first to target the transcription factor STAT3. STAT3 is present in a range of both solid and liquid tumors, including a majority of HNSCC cases.
The idea to test the drug on pet cats came from a discussion first author Jennifer Grandis had with her sister, a veterinarian. Grandis learned that oral cancers like HNSCC in pet cats are extremely difficult to treat and that most animals die within 2 to 3 months of diagnosis.
One cat who benefited from the trial was a 9-year-old black domestic shorthair named Jak. When he was diagnosed with HNSCC, the veterinarian gave him only 6 to 8 weeks to live.
“It was just a gut punch,” says his owner, Tina Thomas. “We wanted more time with him. When I found out about this clinical trial, I knew I wanted him to be a part of it.”
Jak went for weekly treatments for one month. During that time his symptoms—mainly, a watery eye—greatly improved. He ultimately lived more than 8 months after his diagnosis.

“This study is a great example of how we can think more carefully about spending our very limited resources on studies in lab mice that are not even the best models of human cancers,” Grandis says. “By partnering with veterinary oncologists and doing clinical trials in companion animals, we can learn an enormous amount about how these drugs work while also helping people’s pets. None of the cats in these trials were harmed, and many of them benefited.”

Source: EurekAlert

https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(25)00321-6

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