The Vall d’Hebron Institute of Research (VHIR) held on 24 and 25 November the second edition of the Congress on Translational Research in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC): New Challenges for Future Therapies, a scientific meeting aimed at driving progress in one of the tumors with the highest recurrence and mortality rates. The congress brought together national and international specialists to share knowledge and explore new strategies that could transform the clinical management of this disease in the coming years.

Head and neck cancer remains a complex and under-researched disease, with high relapse and mortality rates and significant functional and aesthetic sequelae for survivors. Against this backdrop, the congress served to share advances in basic and clinical research, foster new collaborations, and promote innovative therapeutic approaches that can be translated to patients.

The event was led by Dr. David Virós and Dr. Matilde E. Lleonart, co-heads of the Head and Neck Cancer: Biomedical Research in Cancer Stem Cells group at VHIR. Dr. Virós is also the head of the Otorhinolaryngology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital.

This joint effort between translational research and clinical practice has been essential to strengthening the bridge between the laboratory and the hospital, with the goal of identifying new targets, improving our understanding of tumor biology, and moving toward more personalized treatments.

Throughout the two-day event, the sessions reflected the complexity of head and neck cancer and the need to approach it from multiple angles. Presentations addressed the use of liquid biopsy in HPV-related tumors, as well as new targeted therapies based on bispecific antibodies that act on the EGFR receptor. Studies were also presented on the identification of biomarkers through drug screening and the analysis of genetic alterations in HPV-negative tumors, along with findings on the impact of targets that could pave the way for new treatments in patients with tumors resistant to conventional therapies.

The sessions also delved into immunotherapeutic options, both in the perioperative setting and in advanced disease, and the potential of therapeutic vaccines. In addition, preclinical models and new approaches to studying oral lesions in patients with Fanconi anemia were reviewed, as well as the usefulness of salivary microbiome analysis and molecules such as melatonin in overcoming resistance mechanisms. Finally, the importance of surgical margins in the prognosis of laryngeal cancer treated through laser microsurgery was highlighted, incorporating evidence that may help improve clinical decision-making.

The final day included thematic panels focused on the development of new drugs, advances in immunotherapy, and the identification of biomarkers for early detection, promoting the exchange of ideas between researchers and clinicians.