Role of telemedicine in head neck cancer.

Chemo-radiotherapy and head and neck cancers are common adverse outcomes that impact patients' quality of life. The increasing cancer incidence and healthcare service shortages necessitate new strategies for optimal treatments and follow-ups. Digitalized healthcare, including digital health, telemedicine, and telemonitoring, is promising.

Cancer management in terms of precision oncology.

Cancer processes have been studied for over a century, but clinical care still relies on morphological and histological approaches. Modern diagnostic and therapy options include molecular characterisation of abnormal genes, cell surface indicators, hormonal/endocrine mediators, and signaling pathways. Targeted medicines, synthetic lethal targeting, and immune checkpoint inhibitors have spurred hope for molecular targets in cancer management.

Single cell proteomics. Potential applications in Head and Neck oncology.

In-depth transcriptomic and proteomic analyses are crucial for understanding normal and pathological biology. Next-generation sequencing technology (NGS) is used to assess gene expression, but protein abundance cannot be scaled up due to the lack of methods like PCR. This presents a major obstacle to proteomics at the single-cell level, as protein expression dictates cell state.

Role of in vivo imaging in Head and Neck cancer management.

Intravital microscopy (IVM) and optical coherency tomography (OCT) are powerful optical imaging tools that allow visualization of dynamic biological activities in living subjects with subcellular resolutions. They have been used in preclinical and clinical cancer imaging, providing insights into the complex physiological, cellular, and molecular behaviors of tumors. They have revolutionized cancer diagnosis and therapies, allowing for real-time observation of biologic processes in vivo, including angiogenesis and immune cell interactions.

Molecular screening of head neck cancer.

Liquid biopsy has become a significant tool in personalized medicine, enabling real-time monitoring of cancer evolution and patient follow-up. This minimally invasive procedure analyzes circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor-derived materials, such as ctDNA, miRNAs, and EVs. CTC analysis significantly impacts prognosis, detection of minimal residual disease (MRD), treatment selection, and monitoring of cancer patients.

Surveillance of head neck cancer: Case for personalized and standardized surveillance.

Although surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or combined treatment often elicits an initial satisfactory response, relapses are frequently observed within two years. Current surveillance methods, including clinical exams and imaging evaluations, have not unambiguously demonstrated a survival benefit, most probably due to a lack of sensitivity in detecting very early recurrence. Current guidelines advise post-treatment surveillance of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients should involve scheduled appointments with a variety of practitioners.

Flash radiotherapy-gateway to promised land or another mirage.

Radiation therapy damages cancer cells with ionizing radiation, leading to their death. However, radiation‑induced toxicity limits the dose delivered to the tumor, thereby constraining the control effect of radiotherapy n tumor growth. In addition, the delayed toxicity caused by radiotherapy significantly harms the physical and mental health of patients.

Epigenetics: Promising journey so far but ways to go in head neck cancer.

During the past decade, there has been a significant increase in knowledge regarding the molecular biology and epigenetics of head and neck carcer. Despite much effort to identify biomarkers for the early detection and development of new therapies for head and neck carcer, the overall survival and prognosis remain poor. Many studies show that epigenetic events play an important role in head and neck carcer development and progression, including DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, histone posttranslational covalent modifications, and effects of non-coding RNA.

Liquid biopsy = Individualized cancer management: Diagnosis, monitoring treatment and checking recurrence and metastasis.

Traditional cancer-screening techniques such as imaging and protein biomarkers are not sufficient for early detection. Various forms of endoscopy and tumour biopsy are the current standard methods in diagnosing Head Neck Cancers. Liquid biopsy has been increasingly considered as an option for molecular characterization and detection of cancer as it can provide real-time information about cancer in a minimally invasive manner.

Adaptive Radiotherapy for Head Neck Cancer.

Changes in patient anatomy may occur either from a tumour volume, position or function of a specific organ at risk, or target volume, weight loss or a reduction in postoperative oedema, and may vary between patients. Adaptive radiotherapy aims to correct morphological variations by realizing one or more plans during the treatment course. Imaging is used to detect these variations, thereby deciding on a potential replanning.

Proteomics for Early Diagnostics.

Advances in molecular biology over the past decade have helped to enhance understanding of the complex interplay between genetic, transcriptional, and translational alterations in human cancers. These molecular changes are the basis for an evolving field of high-throughput cancer discovery techniques using microscopic amounts of patient-based materials. In recent years, there has been an explosion in the development of new tools to analyze the proteome of cells, blood, and other body fluids.

Review of STAT3 (Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription) in head and neck cancer.

STATs can be activated independently of JAKs, most notably by c-Src kinases. In cancer cells, STAT3 and STAT5 activation leads to the increased expression of downstream target genes, leading to increased cell proliferation, cell survival, angiogenesis, and immune system evasion. STAT3 and STAT5 are expressed and activated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma where they contribute to cell survival and proliferation.