Today's Highlights

Exhibit Hall
7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Grand Canyon Ballroom 6-8

Welcome
7:50 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.
Cherie-Ann Nathan, MD, Louisiana State University

Patient Perspective
8:00 a.m. – 8:20 a.m.
Michael West

Patient-centric Head and Neck Care
8:20 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.

Keynote I: Disparities in Head and Neck Cancer
9:50 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.
Sharon Spencer, MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Charles Moore, MD, Emory University

Escalation Strategies and Novel Approaches in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Plenary Session I
1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Moderator: Maie St. John, MD, PhD, UCLA

Case Study and Debate: Curative Intent in Elderly and Frail
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Poster Session and Networking Reception
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., Exhibit Hall, Grand Canyon Ballroom 6-8

Industry Satellite Symposia
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Grand Canyon Ballroom 9 & 10
Opportunities in Head and Neck Cancer: Promising Phase II Data Combining IAPs with Radiotherapy

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Grand Canyon Ballroom 11, 12 & 13
Who’s in your waiting room? Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Management of CSCC of the Head and Neck

It was two years ago at our 2020 Multidisciplinary symposium, when I vividly remember Dr. Ehab Hanna describing his nerve-wracking experience trying to get a flight out of Milan back to the U.S., as Italy was going into lockdown because a “virus” had made its way from China to Italy. Little did we know that the Scottsdale meeting would be the last major in-person head and neck conference.

We have gone through an unbelievably challenging time over the last two long years, something most people never dreamt we would face in a lifetime — a devastating and disruptive pandemic of unprecedented proportions. However, we have all adapted, weathered the storm and demonstrated resilience to make a difference in the lives of our patients, our departments, our practices and in the world. Our patients suffered, and our specialty and organizations responded magnificently. A lot has changed in terms of telemedicine, working remotely etc., but we remain determined to further advance patient care by embracing new technology, whether it is machine learning, precision medicine or novel therapeutics.

Hence, this in-person meeting, co-sponsored by ASTRO, ASCO, AHNS and SITC, will bring together multidisciplinary teams who will discuss current standards, new research findings and quality of life for our head and neck cancer survivors. Read more from Dr. Nathan on what’s in store for the Symposium.

Live Virtual Symposium attendees

We’re thrilled to welcome our Live Virtual Symposium attendees, who will be watching live presentations throughout the meeting. In addition, Live Virtual Symposium registrants can visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall and have full access to the Social Q&A and the ROhub community. Be sure to take advantage of these networking opportunities to interact with presenters and pose questions to speakers and attendees.

What’s new at #HNCS22

As in previous years, the Symposium includes a mix of educational sessions and top research presentations, and it all kicks off today! Here’s what’s new and some suggested activities to get the most out of the next two and half days, whether you’re in person, live streaming or following along because of your interest in head and neck cancers.

New this year!

• Patient testimonials – In planning for this year’s meeting, the Program Committee made it a priority to include the patient’s voice throughout the program. Each morning, attendees will hear from a patient who will share their perspective to set the stage for a day of learning.
• More Poster Q&A Sessions – Four sessions are scheduled during breaks to give poster authors the chance to present their studies and answer questions. See the full schedule below.
• Early-career and Trainee Luncheon – Join moderator Maie St. John, MD, PhD, for small group discussions on careers featuring Julie Bauman, MD, MPH; Katherine Hutcheson, PhD; Faye Johnson, MD, PhD; and Loren Mell, MD.

Don’t miss!

• The Conference Planner for the full schedule of events and to review the 131 abstracts selected for oral or poster presentation. The abstracts will also be published in the April print and online issue of the Red Journal.
• The Poster Session and Networking Reception, today at 4:30 p.m.
• The Exhibit Hall, with more than 25 exhibitors. The Exhibit Hall is open Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For those of you attending virtually, visit the Virtual Exhibit Hall.
• The Industry Satellite Symposia and Industry-Expert Theater in the evening today and Friday.
• The interactive audience polls. Submit and upvote questions for the speakers and moderators by accessing the Social Q&A platform on your mobile phone, tablet or laptop, no download required! Navigate to the appropriate session and, if necessary, select the appropriate speaker from the given list. Then ask a question or answer any polls that speakers have posted.

Plenary Sessions will highlight abstracts of scientific significance

The Symposium’s two Plenary Sessions will showcase abstracts deemed to have the highest merit and greatest impact on oncology research and practice. Below, we highlight two studies from today’s Plenary I session.

Compelling Evidence Presented on Toxicity and Treatment Outcome in Preplanned Pooled Analysis of MC1273 and MC1675 Studies

By Nancy Lee, MD, FASTRO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Presenting author: Daniel Ma, MD

Using a preplanned pooled analysis of de-escalated patients from MC1273 and MC1675, Dr. Ma will present his abstract that tests whether the pooled patient cohorts for MC1273/1675 would have fit the noninferiority progression-free survival target used for a contemporary cooperative group trial, NRG HN005. Read more.

Mid-treatment Imaging Can Be Used to De-escalate Therapy for Oropharynx Cancer, Leading to Fewer Side Effects

Presenting author: Steven G. Allen, MD, PhD

Steven Allen, MD, PhD, will present his phase II trial on whether PET scans obtained before and midway through treatment for p16-positive oropharynx cancer can help determine if a patient can receive a lower dose of radiation therapy in the second half of their treatment course without compromising cancer control. Read more.

The Head and Neck Symposium offers more than 100 scientific posters that will feature cutting-edge research relevant to the entire head and neck cancer community. New this year, every poster author has the opportunity to present during a scheduled poster session. Poster sessions take place at the poster viewing stations in the Exhibit Hall, Grand Canyon Ballroom 6-8.

Thursday, February 24
Poster Session I
3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Coffee Break)
Definitive Management of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Poster Session II
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Networking Reception)
Management of Recurrent/Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Non-squamous Cell Malignancies of the Head and Neck Toxicity, Quality of Life, Survivorship, Costs of Care

Thursday, February 25
Poster Session III
10:25 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. (Coffee Break)
Epidemiology and Prevention; Imaging, Physics, Pathology

Poster Session IV
2:35 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Coffee Break)
Immunology and Immunotherapy; Molecular Biology and Therapeutics

All posters are also accessible online in the Virtual Poster Library. The library will be available during the symposium and for a limited time after the symposium concludes. You will need to create an account to view the posters.

Stay tuned tomorrow for additional coverage of Day 1, including more expert commentary on some of the exciting research from today’s Plenary session and a look at what’s ahead for Day 2 of the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium.