Recent data have shown a continued rise in the worldwide annual incidence and mortality rates of head and neck cancers. The present standard for diagnosis and monitoring for disease recurrence or progression involves clinical examination, imaging, and invasive biopsy techniques of lesions suspected of being malignant. In addition to limitations relating to cost, time, and patient discomfort, these methodologies have inherent inaccuracies for detecting recurrence. In view of these limitations, the analysis of patient bodily fluid samples via liquid biopsy proposes a cost-effective and convenient alternative, which provides insight on the biogenetic and biomolecular underpinnings of oncologic disease processes. The monitoring of biomarkers for head and neck cancer via liquid biopsy, including circulating tumor DNA, circulating tumor cells, and circulating cell-free RNA, has shown clinical utility in the screening, diagnosis, prognostication, and monitoring of patients with various forms of head and neck cancer. The present review will provide an update on the current literature examining the use of liquid biopsy in head and neck cancer care and the clinical applicability of potential biomarkers, with a focus on viral and non-viral circulating tumor DNA. Possible future avenues for research to address specific shortcomings of liquid biopsy will be discussed.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is an uncommon adverse event of antiresorptive and antiangiogenic medications that can result in severe bony complications. Pentoxifylline and tocopherol (PENTOCO) and bone morphogenic protein (BMP) have shown promise as two therapies that could be effective in the management of MRONJ. The present paper reviews the findings of a total of 12 studies investigating the effectiveness of PENTOCO and BMP in the management of 417 patients with MRONJ. Additionally, three patient cases that were managed at our institution are discussed to supplement the findings of the review. While the available literature on the efficacy of PENTOCO and BMP use in the management of MRONJ is limited, the present study’s findings support the potential effectiveness of these therapies as supplements to medical and surgical interventions currently employed.

Background: Cutaneous melanoma is an increasingly common and potentially lethal form of skin cancer. Current staging systems based on clinical and pathological features have limitations in accurately predicting outcomes, particularly for early-stage disease. The 31-gene expression profile (31-GEP) test has emerged as a promising tool for improving risk stratification in melanoma patients. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the prognostic performance of the 31-GEP test in cutaneous melanoma. A comprehensive literature search was performed in multiple databases. Studies reporting survival outcomes stratified by 31-GEP class were included. Random-effects models were used to determine survival estimates across studies. Results: Thirteen studies comprising 14,760 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The 31-GEP test consistently stratified patients into risk groups with significantly different outcomes. The 5-year melanoma-specific survival rates were 99.8% (95% CI: 98–100%) for Class 1A, 97.6% (95% CI: 92.4–99.3%) for Class 1B/2A, and 83.4% (95% CI: 66.5–92.7%) for Class 2B. Similar trends were observed for recurrence-free and distant metastasis-free survival. Conclusions: This meta-analysis supports the prognostic utility of the 31-GEP test in cutaneous melanoma prognostication. The test consistently stratified patients into clinically meaningful risk groups across multiple survival metrics. These findings support the potential clinical utility of the 31-GEP test in enhancing current staging systems and informing personalized management strategies for melanoma patients.

Recent data has shown a continued rise in the worldwide annual incidence and mortality rates of head and neck cancers. The present standard for diagnosis and monitoring for disease recurrence or progression involves clinical examination, imaging, and invasive biopsy techniques of lesions suspected of being malignant. In addition to limitations relating to cost, time, and patient discomfort, these methodologies have inherent inaccuracies for detecting recurrence. In view of these limitations, the analysis of patient bodily fluid samples via liquid biopsy proposes a cost-effective and convenient alternative, which provides insight on the biogenetic and biomolecular underpinnings of oncologic disease processes. Liquid biopsy’s monitoring for biomarkers of head and neck cancer, including circulating tumor DNA, circulating tumor cells, and circulating cell-free RNA, has shown clinical utility in the screening, diagnosis, prognostication, and monitoring of patients with various forms of head and neck cancer. The present review will provide an update on the current literature examining the use of liquid biopsy in head and neck cancer care and the clinical applicability of potential biomarkers, with a focus on viral and non-viral circulating tumor DNA. Possible future avenues for research to address specific shortcomings of liquid biopsy will be discussed.

Objective: Vestibular symptoms impose a high burden of disability. Understanding real‐world diagnostic and treatment pathways can identify care gaps and guide interventions. We aimed to characterize symptom profiles, diagnostic trends, provider involvement, and treatment patterns in vestibular disorders. We also examined whether these real‐world pathways align with expected clinical features in vestibular diagnoses. Methods: Data from the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) patient registry from March 21, 2023, to January 29, 2024 was analyzed, focusing on vestibular diagnoses, symptom patterns, care pathways, treatments, and diagnostic predictors. Results: Of 172 respondents (75.6% female), 66.3% reported multiple vestibular diagnoses (mean 1.8) and 18.9% reported inability to work. The most prevalent diagnoses were vestibular migraine (VM, 50.6%), benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV, 36.0%), Meniere's disease (26.9%), persistent postural‐perceptual dizziness (PPPD, 20.9%), and vestibular neuritis (VN, 21.6%). VM overlapped with BPPV (44.8%), PPPD (31.0%), and Meniere's disease (27.6%). Patients consulted an average of ~15 providers, underscoring the combined effects of participation bias, diagnostic overlap, and fragmented care pathways characteristic of vestibular conditions. Symptoms, triggers, functional impact, provider involvement, and treatments were broadly similar across diagnoses. Logistic regressions revealed that VM was associated with frequent headaches, spontaneous vertigo, and frequent nausea/vomiting (ORs 24.70, 21.07, 5.58; p = 0.003, 0.02, 0.036), Meniere's with dietary improvement (OR 38.00; p = 0.016), PPPD with VM overlap and visual‐induced vertigo (ORs 6.83, 0.02; p = 0.03, 0.02), and VN with the lowest frequency of autonomic symptoms (OR 0.00006; p = 0.005). Interpretation: The findings reveal a complex clinical landscape of vestibular disorders marked by multiple diagnoses and barriers to effective care. Overlapping symptom profiles across disorders further complicate diagnostic accuracy. Although regression analysis confirmed diagnosis‐specific features, neither provider involvement nor treatments aligned consistently with diagnoses, highlighting fragmented care pathways. These findings call for clearer diagnostic pathways, enhanced provider training, and coordinated multidisciplinary care to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment for vestibular disorders.