As the landscape of head and neck cancers evolves, population-level and real-world studies are essential for understanding these shifts. A study by Michelle Chen et al., published in The Lancet—Diabetes & Endocrinology, reveals a fascinating trend in thyroid cancer incidence in the U.S. Over the past few decades, the annual incidence has increased from 5.0 to 14.6 cases per 100,000 people between 1975 and 2009, predominantly affecting older adults. However, this trend appears to have plateaued from 2009 to 2019, while mortality rates have remained stable over time. The historical surge in incidence may largely stem from the increased use of clinical imaging, leading to the overdiagnosis of indolent nodules. The authors suggest that considering conservative management strategies, such as active surveillance, before initiating treatment could help address overdiagnosis.

Furthermore, a study led by Michelle Chen, published in JAMA-Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, highlights the mental health crisis among patients with head and neck cancers. The authors examined the prevalence of depression in over 377,000 US adults with head and neck cancers, observing that 40.1% had depression, which was twice as high than for people with other cancers (22.3%) (left image). Further, depression was significantly associated with increased mortality in people with head and neck cancers, underscoring the importance of addressing both the cancer and comorbid depression in these patients.

Our research team is also pioneering novel therapeutic and surgical strategies. A collaborative study with Nate Reticker-Flynn, led by K. Christopher Garcia, published in Nature Communications, introduces a revolutionary approach to immune signaling through cytokine adaptors. This innovative strategy transforms immunosuppressive cytokines into immunomodulatory agents in the presence of specific disease-associated molecules, such as TGF-β or IL-17. The enhanced specificity of these cytokine adapters promises to elevate cancer immunotherapy beyond traditional cytokine therapies, offering the potential for off-the-shelf solutions that circumvent the lengthy and costly processes associated with autologous cell therapies.

Our commitment to surgical innovation is exemplified by a study by Baik et al. published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, which showcases the feasibility of augmented reality in precisely locating sentinel lymph nodes during melanoma staging (right image). While pre-surgical SPECT/CT imaging can identify draining lymph nodes, intraoperative imaging provides only an estimate of the location. This study demonstrates that augmented reality can project pre-surgical imaging onto cadavers with remarkable accuracy, significantly reducing surgical task time, which could potentially enhance outcomes for head and neck cancer patients.