SPOHNC is dedicated to raising awareness and meeting the needs of oral and head and neck cancer patients through its resources and publications.
An Animated Patient® Guide to Head and Neck Cancer. Intended for patients with head and neck cancer, caregivers, and those who are interested in learning about head and neck cancer.
Connecting with others who understand your journey can provide invaluable support and information.
View our new series where oral, head, and neck cancer survivors share their stories and experiences.
Join us for a webinar on expert nutrition tips and learn more about Ina®. Brought to you by SavorHealth® and SPOHNC.
An Animated Patient® Guide to Head and Neck Cancer.
Intended for patients with head and neck cancer, caregivers, and those who are interested in learning about head and neck cancer.
SPOHNC is dedicated to raising awareness and meeting the needs of oral and head and neck cancer patients through its resources and publications.
Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC) pronounced “Spunk” is a nonprofit organization involved in the development of programs of support. As such it can have an enormous positive impact on meeting the psychosocial needs of patients as well as preserving, restoring and promoting physical and emotional health.
Written By: Ravindra Uppaluri, MD., PhD Treatments have not changed for many years For over two decades, the management of many locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) has involved up front surgery followed by radiation plus...
Written by: Alexander T. Pearson, MD, PhD The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) has the potential to significantly improve treatment outcomes for patients. By taking advantage of the capabilities of AI...
Written by: James Suen, MD It is a privilege for me to share some of my experiences that may or could affect your health. I have had the opportunity to treat patients with head and neck cancer for more that...
Written by: Dr. London, MD Sinonasal malignancies, tumors that arise inside the nose and nearby sinus area, are an uncommon subset of head and neck cancer. These are a diverse group of malignancies and include sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC),...
Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC) Launches #lifeAhead to Celebrate Survivorship this Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month Campaign Features Compelling Stories to Emphasize there is “#lifeAhead” After Your Cancer Diagnosis. Click here to...
Written by: Ryan S. Lee, DDS, MPH, MHA, FAGD, FICOI, DIDIA Yes, You May Be a Candidate, with Caveats and Clinical Considerations! (Part 1 of 2) Every cancer survivor I know is a hero in a unique way. The thousands...
Written by: Ricardo Zwirtes, MD Vice President of Clinical Development, SQZ Biotechnologies As we continue to search for more effective treatments for head and neck cancers, cell therapy is an exciting field within immunotherapy that offers significant promise. Though there...
Written by Dan P. Zandberg, MD Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer that originates in the head and neck. The most frequent primary sites of origin in the United States are oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx. While...
Written by Wey-Wey Kwok, JD The Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) is a non-profit, public interest law organization headquartered in Connecticut and Washington, D.C., that works to advance access to comprehensive Medicare coverage, health equity, and quality health care for...
Written by Ron J. Karni, MD Head and neck cancer patients are experiencing increasing rates of survivorship. This also means many patients are living with the side effects of head and neck cancer treatment. Common side effects I hear from...
Written by Marshall Posner, MD & Eric Genden, MD, MHCA, FACS A large shift in the causes and natural history of head and neck cancer has radically changed the prognosis and survival of a significant fraction of patients in the...
Written by David Hood (Posted on December 19, 2014) “Hold fast to dreams,For if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged bird,That cannot fly.” —Langston Hughes, poet What is Hope? Desmond Tutu said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light...
We find ourselves in an exciting time for innovation in the treatment of head and neck cancer. New treatments such as immunotherapy and increased precision in the delivery of radiation are examples of methods that are being evaluated in clinical...
Written by Bonnie Martin-Harris, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-S It doesn’t take an expert in swallowing disorders to inform a group of head and neck cancer survivors and their families that impaired swallowing is one of the most common, yet frustrating, results...
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is aware that people with cancer and cancer survivors, particularly those with compromised immune systems, are likely worried about the potential impact of COVID-19 on their health. Patients should talk with their oncologists...
Brian C. Baumann, MD; Kelly M. MacArthur, MD Head and neck cancer patients require specialist care from surgeons, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists. Patients with larger or more advanced disease who are treated with surgery will frequently receive post-operative radiation...
Written by Lisa M. Miller, DPT From the time of initial cancer diagnosis, there are things you can do to help your quality of life and outlook for each day throughout your cancer treatment plan. Many people have either heard...
Written by Lynne Eldridge, MD Journaling, or “expressive writing” is a creative and emotional outlet for many people with cancer. In addition to being a way to chronicle your journey and clarify your thoughts, some people have found that writing...
Written by: Sara Chigani, MA, MT-BC “Oh, I’m not musical” or “I only play the radio” are a couple of typical answers I get after introducing myself as a music therapist. Yes, music is healing and as a board-certified music...
Written By: Katharine Price, MD In my experience as a head and neck medical oncologist, fear of long-term side effects of cancer treatment is second only to the fear of cancer recurrence. Treating the head and neck region using surgery,...
Written by Jaeyoung Choi and Praveen Arany, BDS, MDS, MMSc, PhD Upon completing my first year at Dental School, I was looking at getting involved with dental research this summer to learn more about progress in the field of clinical...
Imagine a 196-ton, cancer-killing machine that can target a patient’s cancer with sub-millimeter precision while sparing nearby healthy tissues and minimizing side effects. In its most simple terms, that’s proton therapy. Proton therapy is an advanced form of radiation treatment...
Written by Santosh Rao, MD Head and neck cancers, occurring in such a sensitive area of the body, can pose a number of issues for those undergoing treatment. The mainstays of curative treatment are surgery and/or radiation, both of which...
Written by Geoffrey Neuner, MD It is an understatement to say head and neck cancer is a challenging disease for patients, caregivers and clinicians. Curative treatment consists of either surgery, radiation or both, often combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy. The individual...
Written by Jessica McDermott, MD Introduction Anyone who currently has or who has survived head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) can tell you that the cancer itself and the treatment involved can cause significant pain. The location of the...
Richard C. Niemtzow, MD, PhD, MPH Xerostomia Xerostomia or dry mouth is caused by a disturbance of the salivary glands. This is especially prevalent among head and neck oncology patients who have experienced chemotherapy, radiation and surgery for their head...
Dan Zandberg, MD Introduction Currently, two immunotherapy medications, Nivolumab (Opdivo) and Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) are approved in the USA for recurrent and or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (HNSCC) after a patient received and failed “platinum” based chemotherapy....
Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD Clinical trials are a key research tool for advancing medical knowledge and patient care. Clinical research is done only if doctors do not know whether a new approach works well in people and is safe...
Liza Murray, APRN & Allen M. Chen, MD What is cancer survivorship? Survivorship focuses on the health and life of a person with cancer from initiation of treatment until the end of life. It covers the physical, psychosocial and economic...
Liza Murray, APRN & Allen M. Chen, MD We’re back! We’d like to expand on our survivorship topics from September’s newsletter and highlight more survivorship challenges for head and neck cancer patients. We appreciate the feedback and insight from our...
If you or your loved one is looking for emotional or educational support, visit our supportive care page today. Get connected to our supportive network or receive guidance.
SPOHNC’s work is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors and partners. Below, you can learn more about our collaborators and the clinical trials currently underway to advance care for head and neck cancer patients.
If you are interested in finding a clinical trial that may be right for you or a loved one, please visit our Clinical Trial Finder or explore the opportunities listed below.
Featured clinical trials are shared for educational purposes only and do not represent an endorsement of any specific study.
New cases of head and neck cancer are diagnosed globally.
Impacted by oral, head, and neck cancer per year.
Monthly SPOHNC chapter support groups.
Supported through our helpline in a year.
