Cost of Living Fund For Head and Neck Patients
The head and neck cancer charity, Get A-Head, has announced a Cost of Living Fund to support people with head and neck cancer, specifically relating to the added cost of living that comes with a cancer diagnosis. Each grant is worth £150 per person, with applications open from 5th January 2026. Further details can be […]
Mouth Cancer Impact Report
November is Mouth Cancer Awareness Month. Coinciding with this, the Oral Health Foundation has just published the results of a comprehensive survey of patients called the Mouth Cancer Impact Report. Key findings include: Late presentation is a significant problem, with more tha half the cases being diagnosed at Stage 4 Treatment of mouth cancer leaves […]
Salivary Gland Cancer Day
What Is Salivary Gland Cancer? Salivary gland cancers are rare with only 0.3% of cancers globally being salivary gland cancers. They can affect the salivary glands (in the mouth) and also secretory glands in other parts of the body (trachea, breast, vulva, skin, lacrimal gland). There are more than 23 different types and there are […]
Novel Head and Neck Cancer Study Using a Vaccine
Head and neck cancer patients are being recruited to a clinical trial AHEAD-MERIT which makes use of BNT113 , a cancer vaccine. The trial will compare the use of BNT113 and pembrolizumab to using pembrolizumab alone. It is aimed at patients whose cancer has come back or metastasised and is linked to the human papilloma […]
Evidence of the Benefit of Immunotherapy
Since 2020, Pembrolizumab has been approved by NICE as an option for untreated metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in adults whose tumours express PD‑L1 with a combined positive score (CPS) of 1 or more. Now, evidence has emerged from a large international clinical trial about the effectiveness of this immunotherapy when […]
Listen to Your Gut Feeling
Cancer survivor Wendy shares her story to raise awareness of head and neck cancer A 58-year-old Worcestershire woman who was diagnosed with a rare aggressive cancer after suffering cold-like symptoms is urging others to trust their instinct if they have ongoing health concerns. Wendy White was diagnosed with mucosal melanoma in January 2023 after […]
Speeding up Head and Neck Cancer Diagnosis
Situation There is a target of a 2-week waiting (2WW) period for a referral for suspected cancer. The number of referrals from primary care, dentists and other sources has risen dramatically and hospitals have struggled to keep up with demand. This was made worse by the Covid epidemic. Head and neck cancer is quite rare […]
Head and Neck Cancer Audit Feasibility Study
Head and Neck Cancer Audit There has been no effective head and neck cancer audit since the original audit, DAHNO, closed in 2016. The UK Head and Neck Cancer Coalition has strongly supported efforts to promote a new one because of the benefits it can bring in improving the patient care pathway. There are four […]
World Head and Neck Cancer Day
Head and neck cancer cases have been rising in recent years, and not just in the UK. With the reduction in smoking this trend is surprising and unwelcome. One significant reason is the impact of HPV related cases of head and neck cancer. Oropharyngeal cancer patients in particular show a very high proportion testing positive […]
Respiratory-Swallow Training in Head and Neck Cancer
Difficulties swallowing food and drink following cancer of the head and neck are common. Swallowing difficulties often arise due to the position of the tumour itself (which may be found in the mouth, tongue, voicebox or throat) and after treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy). Swallowing difficulties may last a long time and can lead to […]