# 09 Head and Neck Cancer

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · 2022 · $18,707

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The principal goal of the Head and Neck Cancer Program (HNP) at MD Anderson is to improve prevention, rates
of cure, and quality of life for patients with head and neck cancers. The program is led by Jeffrey N. Myers, MD,
PhD, a surgical oncologist and physician-scientist; Maura L. Gillison, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist; and
Steven I. Sherman, MD, an endocrinologist and clinical investigator. The HNP includes 69 members (34 primary,
27 associate, 8 adjunct) from 16 departments. The program is organized around 3 major themes: 1) genomics
and molecular precision therapeutics; 2) translational immunobiology and immunotherapy; and 3) treatment
toxicity and quality of life. Each theme is addressed by a specific aim. Aim 1: To enhance patient outcomes
through the study of genomic alterations in cancers in order to identify pathogenic drivers, novel therapeutic
targets, and mechanisms of resistance. Aim 2: To perform translational studies that identify therapeutic targets
in the immune microenvironment and predictors of response and resistance to immunotherapy. Aim 3: To
decrease the symptom burden and adverse impact of head and neck cancer treatments on patient quality of life
through treatment de-intensification, rehabilitative strategies, and research on symptom control and functional
outcome. The annual direct peer-reviewed funding of the HNP totals $3.1M, including a U01 with $792,088 (25%)
from NCI grants and $1.9M (61%) from NIDCR, whose Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch funds a large
portfolio of grants in this area. Since the last submission, the program has published 879 papers: 522 (59%)
represent intra-programmatic collaborations, 258 (29%) represent inter-programmatic collaborations, and 528
(60%) represent inter-institutional collaborations. Thirty-four percent of articles appeared in journals with IF >5
and 9% in journals with IF>10, including papers in the N Engl J Med, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, and Cancer
Discov. Program members use 14 shared resources. During the past grant period, members of the HNP have
made critical contributions in the integrative genomics of oral cancer; the science of immunology and vaccines
in head and neck cancer (HNC); molecular targeting for oral cancer prevention; and molecular targeting of
treatment of aggressive thyroid cancers. Another important advance by HNP members has been to help devise
a new American Joint Commission on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for oropharyngeal cancer. HNP members
were also major contributors to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and played key leadership roles in the
American Head and Neck Society, NRG Head and Neck Cancer Steering Committee.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10467005
- **Project number:** 5P30CA016672-46
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeffrey Nicholas Myers
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $18,707
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1996-08-28 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10467005

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10467005, 09 Head and Neck Cancer (5P30CA016672-46). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10467005. Licensed CC0.

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