Advances in Supportive Care for Head and Neck Cancer: From Toxicity Prevention to Survivorship

Head and neck oncology has advanced substantially through improved surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapies, immunotherapy, and targeted treatments. Nevertheless, acute and late toxicities—including mucositis, xerostomia, dysphagia, malnutrition, sarcopenia, pain, ototoxicity, nephrotoxicity, endocrine dysfunction, and immune-related adverse events—continue to affect treatment delivery, functional independence, quality of life, and long-term survivorship. These challenges raise important questions about how supportive care can be integrated earlier and more consistently across the cancer pathway, how high-risk patients can be identified, and how interventions can be adapted to individual needs. Recent studies support multidisciplinary approaches involving nutrition, rehabilitation, dental care, speech and swallowing therapy, geriatrics, psycho-oncology, and symptom monitoring. Patient-reported outcomes, digital health tools, wearable technologies, and remote monitoring are also creating opportunities for earlier toxicity detection and more responsive care. However, variation in access, fragmented care pathways, limited prospective evidence, and underrepresentation of older adults and medically complex patients remain significant gaps. Further investigation is needed to establish effective, scalable, and personalized supportive care models that complement optimal oncologic treatment.This Research Topic aims to examine advances in supportive care for patients with head and neck cancer across prevention, early detection, monitoring, and management of treatment-related toxicities, as well as rehabilitation and survivorship. It will explore interventions that improve treatment tolerability, functional outcomes, quality of life, patient participation, and continuity of care while supporting oncologic effectiveness. The Research Topic will also consider how multidisciplinary pathways, real-world evidence, patient-reported outcomes, and emerging digital technologies can strengthen individualized supportive care.To gather further insights across supportive care during treatment and survivorship, this Research Topic welcomes articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:Prevention, assessment, and management of acute and late treatment-related toxicitiesSupportive care during surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapyNutrition, cachexia, sarcopenia, and body compositionDysphagia, speech, swallowing, and functional rehabilitationOral supportive care, mucositis, xerostomia, and dental managementNephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, endocrine disorders, and immune-related adverse eventsPatient-reported outcomes, health-related quality of life, and symptom burdenPrehabilitation, rehabilitation, survivorship, and return to daily activitiesGeriatric assessment and supportive care for older adultsDigital health, wearable technologies, artificial intelligence, and remote toxicity monitoringMultidisciplinary supportive care pathways and models of integrated careImplementation research, health equity, access to care, and real-world evidenceAppendix: We welcome Original Research, Reviews, Mini Reviews, and Perspective articles. Topic editors: Aurora Mirabile, Stella Chin-Shaw Tsai, Nerina Denaro Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84749/advances-in-supportive-care-for-head-and-neck-cancer-from-toxicity-prevention-to-survivorship