Important research is being conducted in the area of head and neck cancer. Scientists continue to study these cancers for information about causes, treatment and prevention of the disease.

The primary focus of research in head and neck cancer involves the following areas:

• DNA. Scientists are researching which DNA changes are responsible for causing cells in the mouth and throat to become cancerous. They have discovered a mutation of the p53 gene in oral cancer cells. Some tests to detect these p53 mutations may allow very early detection of oral and oropharyngeal tumors. The tests also may be used to determine which tumors are most likely to respond to surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
  
  
• Gene therapy. Clinical studies are being conducted to determine if abnormal tumor suppressor genes, such as the p53 gene, of oral cancer cells can be replaced with normal genes. Another type of gene therapy being studied adds new genes to the cancer cells to make them more susceptible to being destroyed by certain drugs. Gene therapy discoveries appear to be promising in the treatment and prevention of head and neck cancers.
  
  
• Tumor growth and targeted therapy. Some cancer cells grow especially fast because of a hormone-like substances called growth factors. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been linked to head and neck cancers. New drugs are being used in clinical trials that target and block EGF to prevent cancer cells from growing and dividing. These drugs show promise for blocking growth factors and shrinking oral cancers. Research continues into the use of these drugs, which may perform best when combined with another form of treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation.
  
  
• New chemotherapy methods. Researchers continue to develop new chemotherapy drugs to treat advanced head and neck cancers. In addition to the standard administration of chemotherapy drugs through the veins, researchers are investigating the effectiveness of injecting certain drugs directly into the tumor. Recent changes in the drug solutions have shown a renewed effectiveness with this approach.
  
  
• New radiation therapy methods. Clinical trials have focused on testing the effectiveness of delivering radiation on a twice-a-day schedule for oropharyngeal cancer. Higher cure rates have been reported for several of the studies and clinical trials are continuing to confirm these findings.
  
  
• Vaccines. Vaccines are being studied as a way to treat oral and neck cancer. The vaccines help the immune system recognize and attack the cancer cells. Since some of the head and neck cancers contain DNA from human viruses, vaccines from these viruses are being developed and studied as a possible treatment.