Background/Objectives: The oral microbiome has been implicated in the pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This review examines the association between specific oral bacterial taxa and HNSCC. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to examine the relationship between the oral microbiome and HNSCC. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in databases including EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Medline, and PubMed. Results: Following the screening of 284 articles, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 1023 HNSCC patients (male: n = 806, 79%; female: n = 217, 21%) and 837 healthy controls (male: n = 622, 74%; female: n = 215, 25.7%). Although findings on alpha diversity were inconsistent, a significant difference in beta diversity was consistently reported between HNSCC patients and healthy controls. HNSCC patients exhibited higher relative abundances of Firmicutes and Synergistetes at the phylum level; Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Porphyromonas, Parvimonas, and Peptostreptococcus at the genus level; and Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, Lactobacillus spp., and Porphyromonas gingivalis at the species level. In contrast, healthy controls showed higher abundances of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria at the phylum level; Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Corynebacterium, Rothia, and Veillonella at the genus level; and Haemophilus influenzae, Rothia mucilaginosa, and Streptococcus mitis at the species level in most studies. Conclusions: The findings indicate distinct alterations in oral microbiome diversity and composition among HNSCC patients, highlighting the role of microbial dysbiosis in cancer progression. Standardized protocols for oral sample collection and microbiota analysis are essential to facilitate more robust, comparable, and clinically meaningful research outcomes.

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), a rare and highly aggressive malignancy, is characterized by an exceptionally poor prognosis, where the majority of patients present with extensive local invasion and/or distant metastases. 20–30% of ATCs harbor the BRAF‐V600E mutation. Neoadjuvant BRAF‐targeted therapy may have the potential to downstage and facilitate surgical resection for patients with locally advanced and unresectable primary tumors with BRAF mutation and may convey a survival advantage in those with metastatic disease. There is emerging evidence to support the use of other targeted agents, including multikinase inhibitors, as well as the incorporation of immunotherapy into the treatment regimen. Rapid molecular and pathological diagnosis and expert multidisciplinary discussion at specialized treatment centers are critical to expedite investigations and initiate treatment for this complex and rapidly progressive disease.

Background: In-transit metastases (ITMs) affect approximately 4% of patients with cutaneous melanoma. This study sought to identify clinical and pathological characteristics that predict further recurrence and survival following resection of ITMs. Patients and Methods: Patients (n = 573) who underwent surgical resection of their first presentation of ITM following previous surgical treatment of an American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage I–II melanoma between 1969 and 2017 were identified from an institutional database. Clinicopathological predictors of patterns of recurrence and survival following ITM resection were sought. Results: The median time of ITM development was 2.4 years after primary melanoma resection. ITMs were most frequently located on the lower limb (51.0%). The most common melanoma subtype associated with ITM development was nodular melanoma (44.1%). After surgical resection of a first ITM, 65.4% of patients experienced recurrent disease. Most recurrences were locoregional (44.7%), with distant metastasis occurring in 23.9% of patients. Lower limb ITMs were more frequently associated with subsequent ITMs [odds ratio (OR) 2.41, p = 0.0002], and the lowest risk of distant metastasis (p < 0.0001) compared with other primary sites. Primary melanomas and ITM on head and neck, as well as the presence of ulceration, were associated with worse survival. Conclusions: Recurrence after surgical resection of a first ITM was common. Patterns of recurrence differed according to anatomical site; further ITM recurrences were more likely for lower limb ITMs, which were also associated with longer distant recurrence-free survival. Distant metastasis was more common for ITM on the head and neck, with worse survival.

Objectives This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the benefits and harms of de‐escalation of radiotherapy compared with standard radiotherapy in the treatment of human papillomavirus‐associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.