Dear Colleagues,

The number of new cases of head and neck cancer has noticeably rapidly increased in recent decades, especially among young adults. This is not only associated with tobacco and alcohol consumption, but due to HPV infection emerging as an additional risk factor, defining a new subtype of tumor that is distinct from “conventional” HPV‐negative ones. Head and neck cancer is remarkably heterogeneous, comprising several subtypes in different anatomic sites of the upper aerodigestive tracts (the nasal cavity, oral cavity, oropharynx, pharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx) with complex pathological and molecular features. Despite the advances in medical imaging and therapeutic approaches, the outcome of patients with advanced head and neck cancer remains poor, and the 5‐year survival is stagnant at <50%, with the lack of flexibility in therapeutic strategies often leading to patients suffering from inadequate or excessive treatments with severe side effects and lifelong consequences.

This Special Issue aims to expand the current molecular knowledge on treatment options and innovative approaches, one of the top priorities in the head and neck cancer field being to revert the obscure scenario of poor outcomes and improve patient survival. For this Special Issue, we welcome experts to discuss their experiences and results involving experimental studies in in vitro and in vivo models as well as review articles, noting the Special Issue focus on molecular research, so pure clinical research will not be accepted.

Dr. Sabrina Wurzba
Guest Editor

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• treatment options
• therapeutic strategy
• target therapy
• personalized treatment
• immunotherapy
• chemotherapy
• radiation therapy