- Cutaneous Leiomyosarcoma of the Head and Neck: Appreciation of a More Indolent Biological Behavior and Implications for Its Management. [Review]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 15. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: cLMS exhibits a moderate risk of local recurrence, low metastatic potential, and excellent disease-specific survival. Surveillance may be focused on physical examination and limited in duration.
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- Endoscopic Endonasal Approach to the Medial Aspect of the Temporomandibular Joint Region. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 15. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to perform an endonasal approach to the medial aspect of the TMJ region. For select tumors, an endonasal approach can serve as a viable option for tumor removal with few complications in experienced hands.
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- Cancer Care Navigation Improves Timeliness of Treatment in Head and Neck Cancer. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 15. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a care navigation program was associated with significant reductions in time to treatment. These findings suggest that structured pathways can meaningfully improve oncologic care delivery for HNC patients.
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- Depth of Invasion as a Predictor of Contralateral Nodal Metastasis in Lateralized Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinomas. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 14. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: In this institutional cohort, increasing DOI was significantly associated with a higher risk of contralateral nodal disease.
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- Impact of Surgical Airways on Location of Death, Healthcare Utilization, and Costs Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Population-Based Study. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 14. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: Patients with surgical airways were more likely to die in subacute care centers and experienced increased healthcare utilization, including longer hospital stays, higher rates of burdensome transitions, and greater costs in the last 90 days of life. There was no statistically significant difference in palliative care involvement between groups after adjustment. These findings should be interpreted with caution, as adjustment for disease stage and tumor site was not possible due to missing data. Further research is needed to better understand the underlying drivers of these differences and their implications for EOL care.
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- Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Orbital Exenteration for Advanced Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. [Review]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 14. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing OE for advanced HNcSCC had moderate survival and locoregional control with substantial morbidity. Evidence directly comparing OE with orbit-preserving approaches remains sparse, and high-quality comparative studies are needed to define the role of eye-sparing strategies in this high-risk population, particularly in the era of neoadjuvant immunotherapy.
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- Glypican-1-Targeted Antibody-Drug Conjugate Exhibits Antitumor Effects Against Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 14. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: GPC1-ADC demonstrated potent and specific antitumor activity against GPC1-expressing OSCC in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that GPC1-ADC is a promising therapeutic candidate for OSCC and may provide a basis for new treatment strategies; however, further preclinical and clinical evaluation is warranted.
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- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Management of Locally Advanced Periorbital Tumors: Efficacy and Toxicity Profile. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 14. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: SBRT with a simultaneous integrated boost is a feasible eye-sparing option for selected patients with locally advanced periorbital tumors, providing high rates of local control and vision preservation with acceptable toxicity. Prospective evaluation and longer follow-up are warranted.
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- Mitochondrially Encoded Cytochrome C Oxidase 1, a Hypoxia- and Lactylation-Related Gene, Acts as a Tumor Suppressor and Therapeutic Target in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 13. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: MT-CO1 as an underappreciated tumor-suppressive factor in OSCC and support further evaluation of amorolfine for therapeutic repurposing. MT-CO1 may serve as a biomarker of treatment response and that the MT-CO1-amorolfine axis may represent an actionable therapeutic vulnerability in OSCC.
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- Effects of Isthmus-Sparing Lobectomy on Thyroid Function: A Prospective, Multicenter, Comparative Study. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 12. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: Isthmus-sparing lobectomy better preserves thyroid function and reduces postoperative subclinical hypothyroidism and hormone replacement needs compared to isthmus-removing lobectomy.
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- Trajectories of Plasma Epstein-Barr Virus DNA and Clinical Outcomes in Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Treated With PD-L1 Inhibitors: A Post-Hoc Analysis of a Multicenter, Phase II Study. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 11. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that plasma EBV DNA trajectories could be a promising biomarker for monitoring treatment response and longitudinal risk stratification.
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- CyberKnife Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Reirradiation of Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Outcomes and Prognostic Factors. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 11. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: Smoking history independently predicted LC and OS; larger tumor volume was associated with worse outcomes and may inform patient selection for SBRT reirradiation.
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- Probe-Based Near-Infrared Autofluorescence for Parathyroid Identification During Thyroid Surgery: Clinical Outcomes, Surgeon Confidence, and Autofluorescence Thresholds. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 11. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: PTeye provides adjunctive confirmation of suspected parathyroid tissue, including glands initially identified with low or moderate visual confidence.
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- Long-Term Outcomes of IDH2-Mutant Sinonasal Carcinomas Compared With IDH2-Wild Type Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma. [Journal Article]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 10. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: Upfront assessment of IDH2 mutation status in sinonasal carcinoma patients may be warranted to select patients for clinical trials with IDH-inhibitors. However, no significant differences in the extent of disease at presentation or response to induction chemotherapy were observed according to histopathologic classification among IDH2-mutant sinonasal carcinomas or IDH2 mutation status within SNUC. Larger series are required to determine the prognostic significance of IDH2 mutation status in sinonasal carcinoma patients.
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- Mohs vs. Wide Local Excision for Early-Stage (AJCC 0-II) Cutaneous Head and Neck Melanoma: A Meta-Analysis. [Review]Head Neck. 2026 Oct 09. [Online ahead of print]HN
- CONCLUSIONS: Although none of the between-group differences reached statistical significance, MMS showed consistently favorable trends in local control and in reducing upstaging and secondary procedures for early-stage CHNM. These findings support consideration of MMS in appropriately selected patients.
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