Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium

Brian Nussenbaum, MD, Christy J. and Richard S. Hawes III Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, director, Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, vice chair of Clinical Affairs, patient safety officer, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, discusses which patients with larynx cancer are eligible for organ preservation surgery.

Jonathan D. Schoenfeld, MD, MPH, physician, assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Center on the immunologic effects of chemotherapy and radiation in head and neck cancer.

Ezra Cohen, MD, Associate Director, Professor of Medicine Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, discusses if lenvatinib should be used in the frontline or second-line setting in differentiated thyroid cancer.

David Adelstein, MD, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, discusses adjuvant therapy options for patients with oral cancer.

Randal S. Weber, MD, FACS, professor, department chair, John Brooks Williams and Elizabeth Williams Distinguished University Chair in Cancer Medicine, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses future treatment approaches for patients with melanoma.

Jessica Frakes, MD, assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses management of toxicities associated with treatment of patients with HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Renato G. Martins, MD, medical director of Outpatient General Oncology/Hematology at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, medical director of Thoracic/Head and Neck Oncology, and professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, discusses side effects that are associated with lenvatinib (Lenvima).

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.

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.

Tobacco-associated mutations accumulate over time in smokers with HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer, resulting in less dependence on E6/E7 and other HPV-associated mutations.