As Head & Neck Cancer Month continues, I look at the faces of the patients I am treating today and think about those who I treated just a decade ago. I see the progress we have made, reflect on advancing reasons for hope, and have knowledge of upcoming technology that will keep this progress moving forward.
Just a few years ago, patients in NW Indiana and a team led by Northwest Cancer Centers’ physicians participated in the KEYNOTE 55 (MK-3475-055) trial which studied the use of an immunotherapy, Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), in the patients with recurrent or metastatic Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Trials like this are a major factor in the progress we have made and the hope that continues to grow.
Raised awareness and use of vaccines to prevent cancer is another reason for optimism. Decreased usage of tobacco products is another area that has made progress; continued decline in tobacco use will provide an even bigger opportunity to prevent these cancers.
In fact, the great strides made over the last decade in both the prevention and treatment of head and neck cancers have saved the lives of tens of thousands of people here in the USA and across the globe. In 2026 an estimated 65-75% of patients with head and neck cancers live 5 years or more past diagnosis. This number is over 80% for throat cancers related to HPV (3). Compare these numbers to just a decade ago, in 2016 when approximately 55% of patients were expected to live 5 years (4).
WHAT IS HEAD & NECK CANCER
To better understand where we are and where we are heading, let’s begin with the simple question. What is Head and Neck Cancer?
Simply put, head and neck cancers affect areas like the mouth, throat, voice box, and nasal passages. Like all cancers, environmental and genetic factors can play a role in both getting and overcoming head and neck cancer. But unlike some cancers the vast majority of Head & Neck Cancers can be directly attributed to the Human Pamplona Virus or tobacco use. In fact, 60-70% of all Oropharyngeal Cancer (throat cancer) cases are attributed to HPV (1) and an estimated 75% of all head & neck cancer cases are related to tobacco use (2).
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THESE CANCERS
The statistics I just quoted above provide the answer. As I just told you, most throat cancers are caused by HPV. The CDC estimates that 90% of these cases would be prevented if HPV vaccination had been completed prior to contracting the virus (5). That is 50% of all cases!
In the case of tobacco use, prevention is even simpler. The single greatest controllable step an individual can take to reduce their risk of head and neck cancer is to avoid tobacco use—and to quit if they currently use it (6).
While taking these steps will prevent MOST Head & Neck Cancers, we also need to discuss the advancements in treatments that have provided hope, longer lives, and better quality of life to those who have been diagnosed.
A DECADE OF ADVANCEMENTS
Earlier I mentioned a study our team participated in which used immunotherapy to boost the power of the patient’s own immune system to fight their cancer. Not only have immunotherapies been identified as the best medicine we have in fighting head and neck cancers, they have done so while improving the quality of life for those undergoing treatment. While every patient is different, immunotherapy has dramatically fewer side effects than chemotherapy in nearly all patients!
In addition to new medicines, a second advancement has been in the lab. Today, we can identify when HPV is the source of an individual’s cancer. Not only do we know that these patients respond better to treatment, but many of these patients also require less intense treatments; shortening treatment duration and decreasing potential side effects (7). Additionally, molecular genetic testing has advanced across all types of cancer and medicine in general. These improvements help us to create a treatment plan that is customized to each person’s specific genetic make-up, cause of their disease, and stage of cancer. This customized plan again reduces side effects and increases effectiveness!
The past 15 years have also brought about great advancements in precision radiation technology and robotic surgeries. One example is IMRT (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy), which uses multiple thin radiation beams of different intensities aimed from many angles to more precisely target the tumor and reduce damage to nearby healthy tissue (8). Two decades ago, IMRT was in its infancy. In 2009, IMRT became the most commonly used radiation treatment for many head and neck cancers; by 2026 it is widely considered the standard approach for most patients receiving curative radiation to better protect speech and swallowing function (9).
Similarly, advancements in robotic assisted surgery have led to less invasive surgeries, with better outcomes, and less intense recovery processes for many patients. For example TORS (Transoral Robotic Surgery) is done through the mouth using a robotic system with a HD camera and small instruments. This technique removes the need for large neck incisions and is commonly used for locations like the base of the tongue or tonsils.
THE BOTTOM LINE
We now know that we can take action in our lives to prevent most head and neck cancers. Also, due to advancements in nearly all aspects of cancer care, patients with head and neck cancers are surviving longer, with a better quality of life.
HOW CAN A PATIENT ACCESS THESE ADVANCED TREATMENTS
When a person learns that they have a cancer diagnosis. It can be quite overwhelming for them and their entire family. The first step is often to identify a medical oncologist you are comfortable with. When making this choice, your medical oncologist should indicate that they will work with nurse navigators, surgeons, radiation oncologists, and clinical trial coordinators at every local hospital and regional academic centers to create a healthcare team that takes advantage of all these advancements.
1. https://www.headandneck.org/risk-factors/ Head & Neck Cancer Alliance: What Causes Cancers of the Head and Neck?
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9971393/ NIH: Global burden of cancers attributable to tobacco smoking, 1990–2019: an ecological study
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27414519/ NIH: Survivorship in Head and Neck Cancer: A Primer
4. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/oralcav.html NIH: Cancer Stat Facts: Oral Cavity and Pharynx Cancer
5. https://restoredcdc.org/www.cdc.gov/oral-health/data-research/facts-stats/fast-facts-hpv-and-oral-cancer.html CDC: CDC, HPV and Oropharyngeal Cancer
6. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/laryngeal-and-hypopharyngeal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html ACS: Risk Factors for Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers (states tobacco use is the most important risk factor for head and neck cancers).
7. https://www.cap.org/protocols-and-guidelines/cap-guidelines/current-cap-guidelines/human-papillomavirus-testing-in-head-and-neck-carcinomas CAP: Human Papillomavirus Testing in Head and Neck Carcinomas (Guideline Update; describes p16 immunohistochemistry and HPV-specific testing used to determine HPV status in oropharyngeal cancer).
8. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/intensity-modulated-radiation-therapy NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: Definition of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).
9. https://www.rcr.ac.uk/media/2ahl12m4/07-head-neck-cancer-radiotherapy-dose-fractionation-fourth-edition Royal College of Radiologists. Radiotherapy dose fractionation (4th ed.), Head and neck cancer section (states IMRT is the accepted standard radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, with limited exceptions).