A History of Innovations in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral and Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract

Historical records as far back as 3000 BCE show that oral and head and neck cancer was a disease process well known to Egyptian physicians. Luminaries such as Hippocrates, Galen, Pott, and Virchow were instrumental in shaping our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of cancer. During the 20th century, evidence-based medicine catalyzed the development of rigorous science-based diagnostic and treatment protocols. The use of surgery, therapeutic radiation, and chemotherapy as single-treatment agents or in combination with one another gradually emerged as the preferred approach to cancer therapy. The recognition of tobacco, alcohol, and human papillomavirus as etiological agents in oral and head and neck cancer prompted the development of new diagnostic aids and treatment strategies to mitigate cancer progression. More in-depth mechanistic insights into the multistep process of oral and head and neck cancer were made possible by the use of the hamster buccal pouch and mouse models. New technologies, such as the sequencing of the human genome, metabolomics, and proteomics, have provided the foundation for what we today call precision medicine. The future success of tailored medical treatment for cancer patients will depend on the discovery of new druggable targets with improved therapeutic efficacy. As the precision and sensitivity of existing tools for prevention and risk assessment improve, greater accuracy will be achieved in predicting health outcomes.

Pharmaceutical Payments to Japanese Board‐Certified Head and Neck Surgeons Between 2016 and 2019

“…While surgery and radiotherapy are the key treatment for head and neck cancers, chemotherapy has advanced dramatically over the past 2 decades. 11 In 2017, nivolumab (OPDIVO ® ) was approved for head and neck cancers in Japan. Another immune checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA ® ) was approved for head and neck cancers in 2019.…”

Future of Artificial Intelligence Applications in Cancer Care: A Global Cross-Sectional Survey of Researchers

“…For example, AI can analyze mammograms to identify breast cancer, CT scans to identify lung cancer, and polyps indicative of colorectal cancer in real-time [ 18 , 20 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 64 , 65 ]. AI can also help with early detection by analyzing a patient’s medical history [ 5 ] and test results to identify patterns that may indicate the presence of cancer [ 47 ]. For example, AI algorithms can analyze genetic data to identify mutations associated with increased cancer risk.…”

“…This prominence as a leading cause of death places cancer as the target of major innovative efforts by academia and the pharmaceutical industry. These efforts have brought several new diagnostic and treatment technologies to the market, such as immunotherapy [ 3 , 4 ] and precision medicine [ 5 ]. More recently, great interest has been observed in the search for new diagnostics and treatments involving artificial intelligence (AI) [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

Current Insights and Progress in the Clinical Management of Head and Neck Cancer

“…HNC patients usually display symptoms related to trouble and/or pain in swallowing (dysphagia and odynophagia, respectively), hoarseness, otalgia, irregular mucosae, mucosae ulcers, oral and/or pharyngeal pain, weight loss, occurrence of unexplained neck mass, etc., usually presented to their primary care physician or dentists [ 3 , 53 , 54 ]. When justified, imaging techniques are generally employed prior to biopsies [ 3 ].…”