JAMA Clinical Reviews Head and Neck Cancer
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Dec 15, 2025 Dr. Lara Dunn, a head and neck medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, shares her expertise on head and neck cancer, the seventh most common cancer worldwide. She explores the connection between tobacco, alcohol, and HPV as risk factors. The conversation highlights screening challenges for HPV-associated cancers and the importance of HPV status in prognosis. Dunn also discusses treatment strategies tailored by stage and emphasizes the need for supportive care before and after treatment.
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Anatomy-Based Definition Of Head And Neck Cancer
- Head and neck cancer arises from the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract including oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx, nasal cavity, and sinuses.
- The review excluded nasopharynx cancer and focused on non-nasopharynx head and neck cancers.
Global Burden And Risk Factors
- Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer worldwide with significant US incidence and mortality.
- Major risk factors worldwide are tobacco and alcohol, while HPV now drives a large share of oropharynx cancers in the US and Europe.
Reduce Risk By Quitting And Vaccinating
- Smoking and alcohol cessation reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancer and risk can return to baseline after many years.
- HPV vaccination has eliminated detectable high-risk oral HPV in vaccinated people and should reduce future oropharynx cancers.