About this Research Topic
Traditionally, therapeutic decisions in head and neck cancers have been based primarily on clinical or pathological staging. However, recent advances in our understanding of biomarkers have shown that various tumor based genomic biomarkers like p53 alterations can predict worse outcomes. In addition, intra-tumor heterogeneity and resistance to radiation treatment can be assessed with PET radiotracers aimed at detecting tissue hypoxia. Circulating tumor DNA or liquid biopsies can overcome some limitations of tissue sampling and intra-tumor heterogeneity. These are particularly applicable to virally mediated head and neck cancers like HPV mediated oropharyngeal cancer and EBV mediated nasopharyngeal cancer. These approaches are promising as they may identify a subset of favorable head and neck cancer patients who can receive de-escalated treatment, or identify high risk patients at risk of treatment failure who may benefit from intensification of treatment.
The goal of this research issue is to highlight the biomarkers that are clinically available or being evaluated in clinical trials for treatment adaptation in head and neck cancers. We also highlight additional laboratory-based biomarkers that appear promising and may find their way into clinical trials. The limitations in integrating these biomarkers into everyday practice and potential strategies to personalize treatments and follow up for head and neck cancer patients will be addressed.
The current Research Topic aims to define a collection of studies which demonstrate the latest research in the use of imaging or laboratory-based biomarkers which may impact the treatment of head and neck cancer patients. We are interested in Original Research, clinical Trials, Brief Research Reports, Meta-analysis, or Review articles which focus on the following themes/areas;
• Treatment adaption based on dynamic biomarkers.
• Follow up or surveillance based on novel biomarkers after treatment completion.
• Large scale database efforts to internationally define head and neck biomarkers
• Radiomic biomarkers and new radiopharmaceuticals for metabolic or functional imaging.
• Techniques for increasing sensitivity and positive predictive value of biomarkers.
• Personalization of treatment.
The goal of this research issue is to highlight the biomarkers that are clinically available or being evaluated in clinical trials for treatment adaptation in head and neck cancers. We also highlight additional laboratory-based biomarkers that appear promising and may find their way into clinical trials. The limitations in integrating these biomarkers into everyday practice and potential strategies to personalize treatments and follow up for head and neck cancer patients will be addressed.
The current Research Topic aims to define a collection of studies which demonstrate the latest research in the use of imaging or laboratory-based biomarkers which may impact the treatment of head and neck cancer patients. We are interested in Original Research, clinical Trials, Brief Research Reports, Meta-analysis, or Review articles which focus on the following themes/areas;
• Treatment adaption based on dynamic biomarkers.
• Follow up or surveillance based on novel biomarkers after treatment completion.
• Large scale database efforts to internationally define head and neck biomarkers
• Radiomic biomarkers and new radiopharmaceuticals for metabolic or functional imaging.
• Techniques for increasing sensitivity and positive predictive value of biomarkers.
• Personalization of treatment.
Keywords: Biomarkers, Treatment Adaption, Circulating Tumor DNA, Tumor Heterogeneity, Head and Neck Cancer, Tumor Genomics
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
