Head & Neck Cancers

An early-stage trial is examining the addition of nivolumab to a cetuximab regimen in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The combination of pazopanib (Votrient) and cetuximab (Erbitux) showed a disease control rate of 77% in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, including patients with cetuximab- or platinum-resistant disease.

Among patients with HPV-negative, locoregionally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with a poor prognosis, adding cetuximab (Erbitux) to induction chemotherapy and hyperfractionated or accelerated chemoradiation therapy produced long-term control.

James Melotek, MD, Radiation and Cellular Oncology, University of Chicago Medicine, discusses an analysis of a phase II study examining the addition of cetuximab to induction chemotherapy and accelerated or hyperfractionated chemoradiation therapy for locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer.

Barbara Burtness, MD, discusses the potential for immunotherapy agents in head and neck cancer.

Renato G. Martins, MD, discusses the impact of lenvatinib in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, how and when it should be used in clinical practice, and the future potential for the agent.

Maria E. Cabinillas, MD, associate professor, Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses administering lenvatinib (Lenvima) as a first-line therapy for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Both progression-free and overall survival with second-line afatinib (Gilotrif) in recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are associated with several biomarkers.

Jose P. Zevallos, MD, MPH, FACS, assistant professor, director of Oncologic Research, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, discusses a study that examined the molecular profile of patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) stratified by smoking status.

The use of induction chemotherapy for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma does not improve overall survival.

Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, vice chair for Clinical Operations, associate director for Translational Research, and coleader of the Cancer Immunology Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, discusses nivolumab's potential as a treatment of patients with head and neck cancer, as reported in the CheckMate-141 study.

Patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer should be screened for social isolation and financial hardship, as these factors play a role in their ability to stay on medication, minimize hospital stays, and achieve optimal health outcomes.

Keith C. Bible, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Mayo Clinic, discusses the impact that lenvatinib (Lenvima) has had on the treatment landscape of differentiated thyroid cancer.

In patients treated with definitive radiation therapy for HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, most recurrences can be detected via imaging at 3 months and physical examinations during the first 6 months after treatment.

Tanguy Y. Seiwert, MD, assistant professor of Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, discusses the impact of immunotherapy agents as treatment of patients with head and neck cancer.

Concurrent chemoradiation significantly improved overall survival compared with radiation therapy alone for elderly patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers.

Ezra Cohen, MD, associate director, Moores Cancer Center, professor of Medicine, University of California, San Diego Health System, discusses tumor biomarker association with clinical outcomes in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with afatinib versus methotrexate.

Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, discusses CheckMate-141, the biggest remaining challenges in head and neck cancer, and the potential for nivolumab as a treatment of patients with the disease.

Nivolumab has improved overall survival versus investigator's choice of therapy for patients with platinum-refractory squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the phase III CheckMate-141 trial.

Patients with a certain type of oral human papilloma virus have an increased risk of developing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Results of a recent study show that patients with low-risk thyroid-related microcarcinoma who choose to undergo immediate surgery are at higher risk for adverse events and unnecessary risk compared with those who decide on active surveillance.

Substantial evidence exists that a subset of squamous cell cancers of the head and neck display phenotypic changes that predict activity for immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Sudipto Mukherjee, MD, associate staff, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, discusses a study examining the association between radioactive iodine treatment of thyroid cancer and the risk for developing myelodysplastic syndromes.

Barbara A. Burtness, MD, professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology), clinical research program leader, Head and Neck Cancers Program, co-director, Developmental Therapeutics Research Program, Yale Cancer Center, discusses emerging immunotherapies and ongoing clinical trials in head and neck cancer.

Marcia Brose, MD, PhD, associate professor of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the lenvatinib trial.

Yael Cohen, MD, vice president of Clinical Development at VBL Therapeutics Pharmaceuticals, discusses VB-111, a highly targeted anti-angiogenic agent that is being investigated in several tumor types.

John Copland, PhD, faculty member in the department of cancer biology, Mayo Clinic, explains his research on patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models in anaplastic thyroid cancer.

Abnormal thyroid function tests were reported in up to 15% of patients treated with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab.

The recent American Thyroid Association guidelines to abstain from cytological evaluation by biopsy for patients with thyroid cancer on the basis of having thyroid nodules ≤1 cm is not advisable.

Pazopanib demonstrated significant clinical activity for patients with RAI-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer; however, a predictive biomarker for the therapy could not be uncovered.