Head and Neck Oncology Journal Club Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/head-and-neck-oncology-journal-club A weekly podcast breaking down the latest peer-reviewed research in head and neck surgery and oncology. Perfect for busy clinicians. © 2026 Krishnakumar Thankappan eeb6488f-efab-59c9-b52b-5d90f01b082f yes en Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:08:45 +0530 Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:09:05 +0530 https://img.transistorcdn.com/Eib3vkQeJNtqOLftTuocnCnyrFa2HSzx5p-TtlXWlpg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS84OWQ3/MWNhMGUxODZkMDJh/OTk1NDdmYmExNThm/MWQ1Yi5wbmc.jpg Head and Neck Oncology Journal Club episodic Krishnakumar Thankappan A weekly podcast breaking down the latest peer-reviewed research in head and neck surgery and oncology. Perfect for busy clinicians. A weekly podcast breaking down the latest peer-reviewed research in head and neck surgery and oncology. KRISHNAKUMAR THANKAPPAN No No The METRO PLUS Trial: Metronomic Chemotherapy Added to Paclitaxel-Carboplatin in Advanced HNSCC 21 21 The METRO PLUS Trial: Metronomic Chemotherapy Added to Paclitaxel-Carboplatin in Advanced HNSCC full 633da02b-905a-4005-8d5e-1a1016d2d728 https://share.transistor.fm/s/71a45cfd Can a $180-a-year regimen close the access gap in advanced head and neck cancer?

In this episode we cover METRO PLUS (Kapoor et al., JCO Global Oncology 2026), a single-center, open-label, phase III trial from Varanasi testing whether adding triple oral metronomic chemotherapy — erlotinib, celecoxib, and weekly methotrexate — to paclitaxel-carboplatin improves survival in platinum-sensitive, unresectable advanced HNSCC.

238 patients, randomized 1:1, in a young, oral-cavity-predominant cohort. The combination doubled median overall survival (10 v 5 months; HR 0.54) and progression-free survival (6 v 2 months; HR 0.38), lifted the 6-month OS rate to 68.6% versus 36.5%, and did all of this without increasing grade 3-5 toxicity. Quality of life favored the combination across multiple domains.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-25-00721

]]> Can a $180-a-year regimen close the access gap in advanced head and neck cancer?

In this episode we cover METRO PLUS (Kapoor et al., JCO Global Oncology 2026), a single-center, open-label, phase III trial from Varanasi testing whether adding triple oral metronomic chemotherapy — erlotinib, celecoxib, and weekly methotrexate — to paclitaxel-carboplatin improves survival in platinum-sensitive, unresectable advanced HNSCC.

238 patients, randomized 1:1, in a young, oral-cavity-predominant cohort. The combination doubled median overall survival (10 v 5 months; HR 0.54) and progression-free survival (6 v 2 months; HR 0.38), lifted the 6-month OS rate to 68.6% versus 36.5%, and did all of this without increasing grade 3-5 toxicity. Quality of life favored the combination across multiple domains.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-25-00721

]]> Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:08:16 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 394 Can a $180-a-year regimen close the access gap in advanced head and neck cancer?

In this episode we cover METRO PLUS (Kapoor et al., JCO Global Oncology 2026), a single-center, open-label, phase III trial from Varanasi testing whether adding triple oral metronomic chemotherapy — erlotinib, celecoxib, and weekly methotrexate — to paclitaxel-carboplatin improves survival in platinum-sensitive, unresectable advanced HNSCC.

238 patients, randomized 1:1, in a young, oral-cavity-predominant cohort. The combination doubled median overall survival (10 v 5 months; HR 0.54) and progression-free survival (6 v 2 months; HR 0.38), lifted the 6-month OS rate to 68.6% versus 36.5%, and did all of this without increasing grade 3-5 toxicity. Quality of life favored the combination across multiple domains.

Paper: https://doi.org/10.1200/GO-25-00721

]]> No Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Excision: Sistrunk Procedure 20 20 Thyroglossal Duct Cyst Excision: Sistrunk Procedure full 0e370872-4a04-4deb-9771-b9f05744d550 https://share.transistor.fm/s/0333f9f5 Audio companion to our surgical video on the Sistrunk procedure for thyroglossal duct cyst. Embryology, why simple excision recurs, and a concise step-by-step of the operation — incision, subplatysmal flaps, strap separation, central hyoid skeletonisation and resection, en bloc specimen delivery, and layered closure. Watch the dissection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cki1r1fIAw8

]]> Audio companion to our surgical video on the Sistrunk procedure for thyroglossal duct cyst. Embryology, why simple excision recurs, and a concise step-by-step of the operation — incision, subplatysmal flaps, strap separation, central hyoid skeletonisation and resection, en bloc specimen delivery, and layered closure. Watch the dissection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cki1r1fIAw8

]]> Sun, 28 Jun 2026 15:59:54 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 259 Audio companion to our surgical video on the Sistrunk procedure for thyroglossal duct cyst. Embryology, why simple excision recurs, and a concise step-by-step of the operation — incision, subplatysmal flaps, strap separation, central hyoid skeletonisation and resection, en bloc specimen delivery, and layered closure. Watch the dissection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cki1r1fIAw8

]]> No Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy vs Immunotherapy Alone in HNSCC 19 19 Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy vs Immunotherapy Alone in HNSCC full 60ad9045-fdd8-402e-a696-eb8854ebdcfe https://share.transistor.fm/s/56878a07 A 23-study, 751-patient meta-analysis asks a practical question: when you give neoadjuvant immunotherapy before surgery in resectable head and neck cancer, does adding chemotherapy actually help?

Baratz and colleagues (Mayo Clinic, JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, March 2026) pooled the prospective phase 1 and 2 data across three regimens — chemoimmunotherapy, single-agent immunotherapy, and dual-agent immunotherapy — in mostly HPV-negative, locally advanced disease.

What we cover:

  • The headline response gap: major-plus-complete pathologic response of 66% with chemoimmunotherapy vs 18% dual-agent vs 6% single-agent
  • Complete pathologic response (~38% vs 5% vs 3%) and why radiographic complete responses appeared only in the chemoimmunotherapy arm
  • The counterintuitive safety finding — more grade 3–5 events with single-agent immunotherapy (29%) than chemoimmunotherapy (17%) — and why the authors won't draw conclusions from it
  • The crucial caveat: these are pooled single-arm trials, not a randomized head-to-head
  • Who the likely target population is for a future phase 3 trial: HPV-negative, T3/T4 oral cavity disease

Bottom line: A large, consistent signal that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy outperforms immunotherapy alone on pathologic response — strong enough to justify a phase 3 comparison, not strong enough to settle it.

Source paper
Baratz HQ, Hidalgo C, Price DL, et al. Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy and Chemoimmunotherapy Regimens in Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online March 12, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2026.0080
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2026.0080

More episodes: hnoncology-journalclub.netlify.app

]]> A 23-study, 751-patient meta-analysis asks a practical question: when you give neoadjuvant immunotherapy before surgery in resectable head and neck cancer, does adding chemotherapy actually help?

Baratz and colleagues (Mayo Clinic, JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, March 2026) pooled the prospective phase 1 and 2 data across three regimens — chemoimmunotherapy, single-agent immunotherapy, and dual-agent immunotherapy — in mostly HPV-negative, locally advanced disease.

What we cover:

  • The headline response gap: major-plus-complete pathologic response of 66% with chemoimmunotherapy vs 18% dual-agent vs 6% single-agent
  • Complete pathologic response (~38% vs 5% vs 3%) and why radiographic complete responses appeared only in the chemoimmunotherapy arm
  • The counterintuitive safety finding — more grade 3–5 events with single-agent immunotherapy (29%) than chemoimmunotherapy (17%) — and why the authors won't draw conclusions from it
  • The crucial caveat: these are pooled single-arm trials, not a randomized head-to-head
  • Who the likely target population is for a future phase 3 trial: HPV-negative, T3/T4 oral cavity disease

Bottom line: A large, consistent signal that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy outperforms immunotherapy alone on pathologic response — strong enough to justify a phase 3 comparison, not strong enough to settle it.

Source paper
Baratz HQ, Hidalgo C, Price DL, et al. Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy and Chemoimmunotherapy Regimens in Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online March 12, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2026.0080
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2026.0080

More episodes: hnoncology-journalclub.netlify.app

]]> Sun, 28 Jun 2026 07:50:57 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 409 A 23-study, 751-patient meta-analysis asks a practical question: when you give neoadjuvant immunotherapy before surgery in resectable head and neck cancer, does adding chemotherapy actually help?

Baratz and colleagues (Mayo Clinic, JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery, March 2026) pooled the prospective phase 1 and 2 data across three regimens — chemoimmunotherapy, single-agent immunotherapy, and dual-agent immunotherapy — in mostly HPV-negative, locally advanced disease.

What we cover:

  • The headline response gap: major-plus-complete pathologic response of 66% with chemoimmunotherapy vs 18% dual-agent vs 6% single-agent
  • Complete pathologic response (~38% vs 5% vs 3%) and why radiographic complete responses appeared only in the chemoimmunotherapy arm
  • The counterintuitive safety finding — more grade 3–5 events with single-agent immunotherapy (29%) than chemoimmunotherapy (17%) — and why the authors won't draw conclusions from it
  • The crucial caveat: these are pooled single-arm trials, not a randomized head-to-head
  • Who the likely target population is for a future phase 3 trial: HPV-negative, T3/T4 oral cavity disease

Bottom line: A large, consistent signal that neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy outperforms immunotherapy alone on pathologic response — strong enough to justify a phase 3 comparison, not strong enough to settle it.

Source paper
Baratz HQ, Hidalgo C, Price DL, et al. Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy and Chemoimmunotherapy Regimens in Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Published online March 12, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamaoto.2026.0080
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2026.0080

More episodes: hnoncology-journalclub.netlify.app

]]> No ALT Flap Harvest 18 18 ALT Flap Harvest full 75adee84-9035-44de-a839-a757c52806cc https://share.transistor.fm/s/ca4fd6b1 Sun, 21 Jun 2026 21:16:15 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 452 No When Not to Operate: Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Skull Base 17 17 When Not to Operate: Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Skull Base full ab08577f-f078-40f6-9677-e6cfccbd7e1c https://share.transistor.fm/s/3e8a5c5b Sun, 07 Jun 2026 20:35:08 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 511 No Systemic Treatment of Thyroid Cancer: The 2026 ASCO Guideline 16 16 Systemic Treatment of Thyroid Cancer: The 2026 ASCO Guideline full 42a29456-a387-47d5-9520-3032f2b3eec5 https://share.transistor.fm/s/67ec0e1a Sun, 17 May 2026 21:33:03 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 431 No ENE Upstages: What TNM9 Changes for HPV+ Oropharyngeal Cancer 15 15 ENE Upstages: What TNM9 Changes for HPV+ Oropharyngeal Cancer full 16178f69-78f2-4aa1-bf29-8af10df1ec50 https://share.transistor.fm/s/f6cee063 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:34:51 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 427 No Remote-Access Thyroidectomy and Parathyroidectomy: 2025 International Consensus Statement 14 14 Remote-Access Thyroidectomy and Parathyroidectomy: 2025 International Consensus Statement full fc323335-fb8b-4853-997b-865a6aa4d3c6 https://share.transistor.fm/s/0d5b4b13 Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:49:31 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 435 No ELAN-RT Trial: Split-Course RT in Older HNSCC Patients - Randomised Data 13 13 ELAN-RT Trial: Split-Course RT in Older HNSCC Patients - Randomised Data full 3d9e871a-7e21-4881-97e6-f0f23185784c https://share.transistor.fm/s/996e82a7 Sun, 08 Mar 2026 19:50:10 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 410 No "Does Every Sporadic MTC Need a Total Thyroidectomy?" 12 12 "Does Every Sporadic MTC Need a Total Thyroidectomy?" full 512e0f94-5ec9-4197-a3c0-62e34e4d23ce https://share.transistor.fm/s/52e2dd28 Wed, 04 Mar 2026 07:55:00 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 436 No RCT: Routine vs PTH-Guided Calcium Supplementation After Total Thyroidectomy 11 11 RCT: Routine vs PTH-Guided Calcium Supplementation After Total Thyroidectomy full 9356c0ba-6d56-47b3-a88d-a25f66a68812 https://share.transistor.fm/s/494befd0 Sun, 22 Feb 2026 13:30:45 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 374 No Proposed TNM-9 Classification for Salivary Gland Carcinoma 10 10 Proposed TNM-9 Classification for Salivary Gland Carcinoma full 8d06c4b1-79ec-4654-a383-162ca1705240 https://share.transistor.fm/s/41599757 Sat, 14 Feb 2026 23:21:19 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 509 No DELII Trial: Can Ultra-Low-Dose Nivolumab Work? 9 9 DELII Trial: Can Ultra-Low-Dose Nivolumab Work? full a88aec4b-6b90-49d8-b646-cd01f458bc66 https://share.transistor.fm/s/e62f7b8a Sun, 08 Feb 2026 20:32:32 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 415 No Proton (IMPT) vs Photon (IMRT) Radiotherapy for Oropharyngeal Cancer 8 8 Proton (IMPT) vs Photon (IMRT) Radiotherapy for Oropharyngeal Cancer full f4d4f01e-1df4-4653-954f-da094576493b https://share.transistor.fm/s/ad67021b Sun, 01 Feb 2026 16:17:34 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 426 No The IoN Trial: Can Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer Skip Radioiodine? 7 7 The IoN Trial: Can Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer Skip Radioiodine? full 031602f5-cf83-4a9e-a73b-41569403abc1 https://share.transistor.fm/s/0adf4d80 Mon, 26 Jan 2026 09:23:21 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 588 No European TORS Guidelines: Indications, Contraindications & Perioperative Care 6 6 European TORS Guidelines: Indications, Contraindications & Perioperative Care full 6afb8da2-d606-4a67-bb6c-c626d6ebab0d https://share.transistor.fm/s/344a17ab Sun, 18 Jan 2026 20:06:17 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 357 No Alcohol and Buccal Mucosa Cancer: No Safe Level 5 5 Alcohol and Buccal Mucosa Cancer: No Safe Level full 8ec55862-63dc-4caa-b7b1-3283a2de2a61 https://share.transistor.fm/s/279e4dae Sun, 11 Jan 2026 19:14:56 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 336 No NIVO-POSTOP:Immunotherapy Breaks Through in Postoperative HNSCC 4 4 NIVO-POSTOP:Immunotherapy Breaks Through in Postoperative HNSCC full 743e7c51-6c58-462b-a056-399db39ce674 https://share.transistor.fm/s/816bd771 Sat, 03 Jan 2026 10:25:56 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 304 No 2025 ATA Guidelines for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer 3 3 2025 ATA Guidelines for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer full 4394408b-7935-4946-84bb-837988b2afec https://share.transistor.fm/s/7d30cb1b Sat, 06 Dec 2025 12:04:20 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 586 Thyroid cancer; Head and neck Cancer; ATA guidelines; Thyroid surgery No KEYNOTE-689: Perioperative Pembrolizumab Changes the Game 2 2 KEYNOTE-689: Perioperative Pembrolizumab Changes the Game full 21d95092-597a-4f79-b097-698c764b843e https://share.transistor.fm/s/794c8c07 Sat, 06 Dec 2025 02:42:56 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 235 Keynote 689; Head and Neck Cancer; Oral Cancer; Immunotherapy; Pembrolizumab No Immunotherapy and Lymph nodes 1 1 Immunotherapy and Lymph nodes full 663d1f29-57c9-4cf1-bd06-a5899e3102f0 https://share.transistor.fm/s/8a0355ff Thu, 04 Dec 2025 02:31:40 +0530 Krishnakumar Thankappan Krishnakumar Thankappan 311 Medicine, Oral Cancer, Neck Dissection, Immunotherapy No