Otolaryngology (ENT)

Extranodal extension in HNSCC nodes is a strong, independent predictor of poor survival

This systematic review and meta-analysis included 16 studies with about 3900 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and cervical nodal metastases. Both pathologic and radiologic extranodal extension were consistently associated with significantly worse survival outcomes across studies. ENE retained prognostic impact in subgroup analyses, supporting its role as an independent adverse factor beyond conventional nodal staging. The authors advocate standardized pathologic and imaging ENE assessment to improve prognostication and guide adjuvant treatment intensity decisions. 1

PD-1 blockade plus chemoradiotherapy improves disease control in locoregionally advanced NPC

This meta-analysis pooled three phase III randomized trials involving 1237 previously untreated patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Adding PD-1 inhibitors to cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy significantly improved event- or failure-free survival (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.49-0.89). Distant metastasis-free survival improved most (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.43-0.85), while locoregional control showed a favorable but nonsignificant trend overall. Overall survival data remain immature (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.60-1.48), so a definitive survival benefit is not yet established. 2

Largest international SNUC cohort clarifies survival and key prognostic factors

This multicenter retrospective study aggregated 485 patients with histologically confirmed sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma treated between 1997 and 2021. Most patients presented with very advanced local disease, with over 70% staged T4a or T4b at diagnosis. Five- and 10-year overall survival were 47.2% and 39.6%, highlighting aggressive biology yet meaningful long-term survival for a subset. On multivariable analysis, orbital involvement and distant metastasis were independently associated with substantially worse overall survival. 3

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy associated with longer survival in unresectable head and neck cancer

This single-center retrospective study included 45 patients with unresectable recurrent or locally advanced head and neck cancer without distant metastasis. Twenty-two patients received near-infrared photoimmunotherapy and 23 received systemic pharmacotherapy between 2021 and 2025. Median overall survival was 35 months with near-infrared photoimmunotherapy versus 8 months with pharmacotherapy in the overall cohort. Among photoimmunotherapy-eligible patients, survival remained longer with near-infrared photoimmunotherapy than with pharmacotherapy. 4