Implementing a virtual multidisciplinary clinical case discussion to manage rare and complex head and neck cancers - an expert-defined protocol proposal from the Italian Association of Head and Neck Oncology (AIOCC)

Q: Why is a multidisciplinary tumor board approach important in head and neck cancer?

It improves diagnostic and staging accuracy, reduces the interval between diagnosis and therapy, and is associated with higher survival rates.

Q: What makes managing rare and complex head and neck cancers challenging?

Subtypes vary by location, pathogenesis, behavior, treatment options, and quality-of-life impacts, and incidence is low for many subsites despite overall global prevalence.

Q: How does the proposed virtual multidisciplinary protocol address patient-tailored care?

It supports coordinated cross-disciplinary skills and communication so that diagnosis and treatment can be tailored to tumor type, stage, anatomical site, and surgical accessibility, including through telemedicine.

Sep 24, 2026

Upload by MrHarris58

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is presented as a heterogeneous and often rare disease group with substantial clinical variability and treatment burden. HNC subtypes differ by anatomy, pathogenesis, behavior, and prognosis, and some are linked to risk factors such as alcohol and tobacco or HPV-associated disease. Multidisciplinary tumor board management is described as improving diagnostic and staging accuracy, shortening time to treatment, and supporting better survival, particularly for rare tumors. A virtual expert-defined protocol proposal from AIOCC is introduced to tailor diagnosis and therapy while coordinating cross-disciplinary communication.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Virtual multidisciplinary discussion in head and neck cancer

ACTA OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGICA ITALICA 2023;43:82-84; doi: 10. 14639/0392-100X-N2368 Letter to the Editor Implementing a virtual multidisciplinary clinical case discussion to manage rare and complex head and neck cancers: an expert-defined protocol proposal from the Italian Association of Head and Neck Oncology (AIOCC) Discussione multidisciplinare virtuale per la gestione di casi clinici rari e complessidei tumori della testa e collo: una proposta di protocollo da parte degli espertidell’Associazione Italiana di Oncologia Cervico-Cefalica (AIOCC) Laura D. Locati1,2* , Irene Herman3* , Marco Benazzo2,3 , Pierluigi Bonomo4 , Andrea Ferri5 , Roberto Maroldi6,7,8 , Gabriele Molteni9 , Paolo Bossi8,10* , Ester Orlandi11* 1 Translational Oncology Unit, Maugeri Clinical Research Institutes IRCCS, Pavia, Italy; 2 University of Pavia; 3 Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation, Pavia, Italy; 4 Radiation Oncology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy: 5 Maxillo-Facial Surgery Division, Head and Neck Department, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy; 6 Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, ASST-Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; 7AIOCC President; 8 University of Brescia; 9 Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Department, University Hospital of Verona, Verona, Italy; 10 Medical Oncology, Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, ASST-Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; 11 Radiation Oncology Clinical Department, National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy (CNAO), Pavia, Italy * L.D. Locati, I. Herman, P. Bossi and E. Orlandi contributed equally to this work. KEY WORDS: multidisciplinary, tumour board, head and neck cancers, telemedicine PAROLE CHIAVE: multidisciplinarietà, tumour board, tumori della testa e collo, telemedicina Dear Editor, Head and neck cancer (HNC) represents a heterogeneous group of neoplasms. These tumours may differ in location, pathogenesis, behavior, treatment, prognosis, and effect on quality of life 1. According to the project RARECAREnet 2, HNCs include epithelial tumours ofthe nasal cavity and sinuses, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, oropharynx, oral cavity, lip, eye and its adnexa, middle ear, major salivary glands and salivary-gland type tumours. Advanced skin cancer of HN area and complex thyroid cancers are also included for anatomical reasons. HNCs are rare since the incidence rate (IR) of each HNC subsite is < 6/100,000, although the IR varies with the highest value for larynx cancer and the lowest for paranasal sinus and salivary gland cancers. Overall, HNCis the sixth most common cancer worldwide with an annual incidence of approximately 850,000 cases and a mortality rate estimated at 450,000 in 2018, accounting for 3% of all cancers 3. It is typically diagnosed in patients over 60 years of age with heavy use of alcohol and tobacco. In addition, cases of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer are being increasingly diagnosed worldwide, especially in younger individuals in the US and Europe 1. HNC is associated with considerable burden and costs due to the complexity of treatments and treatment-related toxicities and, despite the Received: November 4, 2022 Accepted: November 18, 2022 Correspondence Laura D. Locati Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Palazzo Botta 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy E-mail: [lauradeborah.locati@unipv.it](lauradeborah.locati@unipv.it) How to cite this article: Locati LD, Herman I, BenazzoM, et al. Implementing a virtual multidisciplinary clinical case discussion to manage rare and complex head and neck cancers: an expertdefined protocol proposal from the Italian Association of Head and Neck Oncology (AIOCC) . Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 2023;43:82-84 . [https://doi.org/10.14639/0392-100X-N2368](https://doi.org/10.14639/0392-100X-N2368) © S

FAQs

Why is a multidisciplinary tumor board approach important in head and neck cancer?

It improves diagnostic and staging accuracy, reduces the interval between diagnosis and therapy, and is associated with higher survival rates.

What makes managing rare and complex head and neck cancers challenging?

Subtypes vary by location, pathogenesis, behavior, treatment options, and quality-of-life impacts, and incidence is low for many subsites despite overall global prevalence.

How does the proposed virtual multidisciplinary protocol address patient-tailored care?

It supports coordinated cross-disciplinary skills and communication so that diagnosis and treatment can be tailored to tumor type, stage, anatomical site, and surgical accessibility, including through telemedicine.

Sep 24, 2026

Upload by MrHarris58