Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 84 (2012) e90–e96 Future challenges in head and neck cancer: From the bench to the bedside? Luca Calabrese a,b,* , Angelo Ostuni a , Mohssen Ansarin a , Gioacchino Giugliano a , Fausto Maffini c , Daniela Alterio d , Maria Cossu Rocca e , Giuseppe Petralia f , Roberto Bruschini a , Fausto Chiesa a , on behalf of AROME 1 a Division of Head & Neck Surgery, Head & Neck Multi-Disciplinary Task Force, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy b AROME (Association of Radiotherapy and Oncology of the Mediterranean Area), Head & Neck Multi-Disciplinary Task Force, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy c Division of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Head & Neck Multi-Disciplinary Task Force, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy d Division of Radiotherapy, Head & Neck Multi-Disciplinary Task Force, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy e Divison of Medical Oncology, Head & Neck Multi-Disciplinary Task Force, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy f Division of Radiology, Head & Neck Multi-Disciplinary Task Force, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy Accepted 3 November 2010 Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... e91 2. Diagnostic challenges: from morphology to functional and molecular biology .............................................. e91 3. Challenges in chemoprevention ........................................................................................ e91 3.1. Prognostic biomolecular markers ................................................................................ e91 3.2. New trends in chemoprevention .................................................................................. e92 4. Challenges in surgery: surgical margins and organ preservation ........................................................... e92 4.1. What constitutes adequate margins in oncologic surgery? ........................................................... e92 4.2. Compartmental resection of tongue tumors ....................................................................... e92 4.3. Endoscopic laryngeal laser surgery ............................................................................... e92 4.4. Trans-oral-robotic-surgery (TORS) ............................................................................... e92 5. Challenges in chemo-radiotherapy ..................................................................................... e93 5.1. New modalities of treatment delivery in radiotherapy .............................................................. e93 5.2. Next generation chemotherapeutic agents ......................................................................... e93 Reviewer ............................................................................................................ e93 References ........................................................................................................... e93 Biography ........................................................................................................... e96 Abstract HNC is the 11th most frequent carcinoma with a world-wide yearly incidence exceeding over half a million cases [1], a 10:1 male gender predilection and country specific variability [2]. The principal risk factors are tobacco and alcohol use and, in a growing population without these exposures, HPV infection. This work was presented at the AROME International Oncology Meeting in Monaco, 22–23 January 2010. * Corresponding author at: Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Tel.: +39 02 57489490; fax: +39 02 94379216. E-mail addresses: luca.calabrese@ieo.it, mariaangela.massaro@ieo.it (L. Calabrese). 1 Association of Radiotherapy and Oncology of the Mediterranean arEa (www.aromecancer.org). 1040-8428/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2010.11.001