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Detection of Head and Neck Cancer and recurrences after treatment can be difficult. Choice of treatment is influenced by the patient physical condition and biological age. The research program aims to optimize cancer detection and treatment choice in Head and Neck Cancer patients focusing on quality of life.

Research is focused on three subjects:

  1. The use of imaging techniques (like NBI and AI) in early detection of disease
  2. Tailoring treatment by assessment of patients’ physical condition, sarcopenia, age related tumor markers
  3. Biomarkers of head and neck cancer
     
Relevance

How we improve clinical outcomes

Research in head and neck oncology is organized around the following themes:

Imaging

Imaging research aims to evaluate Optical Imaging and to explore the additional clinical value of Artificial Intelligence, chromo-endoscopy and fluorescence optical imaging to improve clinical outcome in head and neck cancer.Imaging research aims to evaluate Optical Imaging and to explore the additional clinical value of Artificial Intelligence, chromo-endoscopy and fluorescence optical imaging to improve clinical outcome in head and neck cancer.

Tailoring the comprehensive management of head and neck cancer to biological age

The clinical research focuses on prediction of treatment outcome of head and neck cancer with special interest on the frail and elderly population by assessing the biological age and muscle mass of patients. Recent research focuses also on dysphagia, related to sarcopenia. The basic research investigates age-related molecular differences in head and cancer using proteogenomics.

Biomarkers of head and neck cancer

Translational research aims to find new HNSCC specific imaging markers.
The oncology research of the department is structured as follows (with collaborations):

    • Detection of primary tumors and recurrences by:
      1. AI-detection using HD video-endoscopy and Narrow Band Imaging
      2. Evaluation of treatment response (retrospective studies)
      3. Finding sentinel lymph nodes in laryngopharyngeal cancer
      4. Using Molecular imaging targets
    • Complications and Quality of Life:
      1. Frailty
            i. Predictors of treatment outcome (adverse events, QoL and survival)
                a. HNSCC
      2. Sarcopenia as predictor of QOL and clinical outcome in HNSCC
      3. Sarcopenic dysphagia – investigating tumor and treatment related dysphagia and its relation to swallowing muscle mass
      4. Treatment of recurrences
      5. Identification of hypoperfusion by IntraOperative Laser Angiography using ICG: wound healing after neck dissection and laryngectomy
    • Improving the head and neck cancer Care pathway by Evaluating Telemedicine using AI detection
    • 3D Airway Implants:
      1. In patients with tracheostoma
      2. In patients after laryngectomy

    In collaboration with OncoLifeS, WSK Medical, Olympus EU, IKNL and the Departments of Maxillo-facial Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Pathology, Medical Oncology, Epidemiology, Radiology, Dermatology

    • Molecular differences between young and older HNSCC patients
    • Age specific oncogenesis in HNSCC (Prolac study, TILTAM study, BioPath study, ProHenGer study)
    • Molecular background of mucosal melanoma

    In collaboration with the Departments of Pathology, Medical Oncology, Analytical Biochemistry, Cell Biology, ERIBA