Early Detection and Treatment of Head & Neck Cancers

Book excerpt: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a heterogeneous group of cancers that, if combined, represent one of the most common cancer types. Patients with HNC suffer significant morbidity and mortality due to the importance of the structures involved. Over two-thirds of these patients are diagnosed at a late stage, leading to a poor prognosis. Therefore, advancements in early detection and treatment of HNC are crucial. Volume I begins with a general overview, including the industry landscape, of HNC detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Next, it covers the applications of innovative technologies such as microfluidics, nanotechnology, and deep learning to early detect as well as study HNC. For example, studying the cellular features at a single-cell level became possible with the advancement of technologies such as mass cytometry or specifically, Cytometry by Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (CyTOF), which has revolutionized the way we can study complex human diseases such as HNC. Finally, the last few chapters are dedicated to describing the standard of care of HNC. The first volume of Early Detection and Treatment of Head & Neck Cancers is highly pertinent to the next generation of interdisciplinary clinicians, scientists, residents, and students who are particularly interested in HNC and in the translation of early detection methods, technologies, and research to clinical practice.