April Is Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month

Each year, more than 55,000 Americans will develop cancer of the head and neck (most of which is preventable), and nearly 13,000 will die from cancer of the head and neck.

Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month, which is led by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance and supported by the AAO-HNS, is dedicated to promoting awareness of head and neck cancer. A key message of the campaign is that early diagnosis is essential to successful treatment of these types of cancers.

Each April, the Alliance promotes free cancer screenings all over the world in addition to talks and other awareness programs. To register an upcoming free screening at your practice or institution or learn more, visit https://www.headandneck.org/clinicians/.

Recent Updates from the AAO-HNS/F Committees on Head and Neck Cancer in the Bulletin

Brief Update: ctDNA in Head and Neck Cancer (this issue)
Financial Toxicity in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
The Milan System for Salivary Gland Cytopathology 
Depression in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Head and Neck Cancer Research in the OTO Journals (April 2025)

Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery 
The Impact of “Close Margins” in HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated With TORS
Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation and Attempt in Patients With Skull Base Tumors 
Adjuvant Proton Radiation Following Transoral Robotic Surgery for HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Mohs Micrographic Surgery Efficacy for Solid Organ Transplant Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Sociodemographic and Clinical Determinants of 12-Month Decision Regret for Head and Neck Cancer Patients

OTO Open
Delivery of Timely Adjuvant Radiation Among Veterans With Head and Neck Cancer
Machine Learning Predicts 30-Day Readmission and Mortality After Surgical Resection of Head and Neck Cancer
Head and Neck Cancer Symptoms and Risk Factors Awareness and Effectiveness of Educational Intervention for Underserved Populations
Enhancing AI Chatbot Responses in Health Care: The SMART Prompt Structure in Head and Neck Surgery 

Additional Head and Neck Cancer Resources for You and Your Patients

Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month
ENT Health Video: Head and Neck Cancer
ENT Health video: Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
Neck Mass in Adults