Deficiencies in fruit and vegetable intake have been associated with oral cancer (oral cavity and oropharyngeal). Salivary rinses contain measurable biomarkers including soluble CD44 (solCD44) and total protein, which are known markers of oral cancer risk. This study investigates the effect of nutritional factors on solCD44 and protein levels to evaluate oral cancer risk and survival. We evaluated solCD44 and protein levels from 150 patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 150 frequency-matched controls. We subsequently characterized the effect of food group consumption and these biomarkers on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Patients reported eating fewer servings of salad (p = 0.015), while controls reported eating fewer servings of potatoes (p < 0.001). Oral cancer patients who consumed at least one serving per week of green salad were found to have significantly lower CD44 levels than those who ate salad less frequently (mean of log₂[solCD44]1.73 versus 2.25, p = 0.014). Patients who consumed at least one serving per week of “salad or other vegetables” had significantly longer PFS (median 43.5 versus 9.1 months, p = 0.003, adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 0.39 p = 0.014) and OS (median 83.6 versus 10 months, p = 0.008, adjusted HR = 0.04 p = 0.029). These findings suggest that dietary factors, namely greater green salad and vegetable intake, may be associated with lower CD44 levels and better prognosis in oral cancer patients.

As competitiveness to obtain a residency position in the field of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (Oto‐HNS) has continued to rise, applicants have endeavored to set themselves apart. One increasingly popular strategy is maximizing research output. Over the past 6 years, applicant metrics such as board scores and volunteer and work experiences have risen incrementally, while research production has more than doubled, from 8.4 mean number of abstracts, presentations, and publications in 2016 to 17.2 in 2022. This coincides with the exponential surge of new research fellowships among Oto‐HNS departments over a similar period, which is now up to at least 68 advertised positions. With a significant difference between the research production of matched and unmatched applicants, programs may be signaling a positive bias towards research‐heavy applicants. Whether this is intended and/or preferable should be examined more closely.