Novel therapeutics and emerging technologies in head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer remains the fifth most common cancer worldwide. With the emergence of the human papillomavirus (HPV) epidemic, the incidence of this malignancy is increasing at an alarming rate and the public health implications are far-reaching. Fortunately, the scientific community has been accelerating its rate of discovery as well. This special issue of the “World Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery” contains cutting edge reports, written by some of the world’s foremost authorities in genomics, theranostics, cell signaling, drug development and surgical innovation. Specifically, the reader of this edition will discover the utility of applied genomics through the use of “MATH” (mutant allele tumor heterogeneity) as described by Drs. James Rocco and Edmund Mroz. Similarly, the genetics of highly aggressive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is introduced. Drs. Quintin Pan, John Lee and their colleagues discuss cell signaling pathways and novel targeted therapies for HPV positive SCC. Theranostic approaches to tumor detection/ treatment as well as novel approaches to the detection of circulating tumor cells are also outlined. Finally, cutting