Head and neck cancer is a common yet aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, particularly when diagnosed at advanced stages. Despite progress in surgical, chemotherapeutic, and radiotherapeutic interventions, overall disease control and patient survival rates remains low due to high rates of recurrence and therapeutic resistance. Head and neck cancer continues to be a challenging disease and many efforts across the world are in process to help diagnose, treat, manage and surveil this disease and the patients it affects. Treatment related toxicity are long lasting and affect patient quality of life and function. Advances in therapeutics and new technologies continue to be developed and utilized in management of this challenging disease. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant immunotherapy approaches are about to gain approval as standard of care. This may help select patients to de-intensify and if needed intensify surgical and non-surgical therapies. Continued advancement and study of therapeutic approaches are needed to increase response rates and maintain long term control in both HPV positive and negative cancers. Advances in diagnostics, treatment, surveillance and rehabilitation will continue to be needed to improve overall head and neck cancer patient outcomes.

This panel of experts will discuss new technologies, advances and treatment strategies in head & neck cancer. Speakers and panel discussion will focus on the future of innovation and unmet needs, as well as what is/are the next frontier(s) in head and neck cancer:

Faculty Roster for American Academy of Otolaryngology Panel Symposia:

Wojciech Mydlarz MD

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Clint Allen MD

Center for Cancer Research/National Cancer Institute

National Institute of Health

Nicole Schmitt MD

Winship Cancer Institute

Emory University School of Medicine

Steven Chinn MD, MPH

Hillman Cancer Center

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Mark Zafereo MD University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Jaime Ku MD

Head and Neck Institute

Cleveland Clinic

Eleni Rettig MD

Brigham and Women's Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Harvard Medical School

Melina Windon MD

Markey Cancer Center

University of Kentucky School of Medicine

- Unmet needs in diagnosis, treatment, surveillance and rehabilitation of head and neck cancer

- Advances in treatment and response adjusted and directed therapy - Future of clinical trials in head and neck cancer; next frontier(s)?

- Artificial Intelligence in head and neck cancer