The 2026 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium, which takes place February 19-21, 2026, in Palm Desert, California, is a key forum for new clinical research and multidisciplinary collaboration in a disease area that affects more than 66,000 Americans each year and often requires highly coordinated care.
The symposium, cosponsored by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the American Head & Neck Society (AHNS), the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), brings together specialists from radiation, medical, and surgical oncology to address emerging evidence and optimize patient care.
This year, expect new research on patient-centered treatment of head and neck cancers, with interactive, case-based discussions on new multidisciplinary therapies, guidelines, supportive care, and disparities in treatment. Highlighted sessions include plenaries featuring clinical trial reports and research from medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists; keynote discussions on neoadjuvant immunotherapy and elective nodal treatment; patient perspectives from several survivors of head and neck cancer; and panels on topics such as emerging technologies to advance patient care, new therapies for recurrent cancers, and strategies to improve survivorship care for patients.
Four high-impact studies recommended by symposium leadership show just a few of the highlights presented during this year’s meeting. Additional abstracts and program details are available in the conference planner.
Key presentations
Abstract 2: Amivantamab plus pembrolizumab in previously untreated recurrent/metastatic head & neck squamous cell cancer: Results from the phase 1b/2 OrigAMI-4 study (NCT06385080).
- Presenter: Ranee Mehra, MD, University of Maryland Cancer Center, Baltimore
- Presentation: Thursday, February 19, 1:40 p.m., Pacific time, Plenary Session I
In this study, the researchers of the study report results on the combination of amivantamab plus pembrolizumab in the first-line R/M setting.
Abstract 3: Ficerafusp alfa 2000 mg Q2W plus pembrolizumab as first-line (1L) treatment for HPV-negative recurrent or metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC)
- Presenter: Dan Zandberg, MD, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh
- Presentation: Thursday, February 19, 1:50 p.m., Pacific time, Plenary Session I
In this presentation, the authors discuss an alternative dosing schedule for Ficerafusp alfa plus pembrolizumab. Ficerafusp alfa (formerly known as BCA101) is a first-in-class, dual-action antibody developed by Bicara Therapeutics that targets both EGFR and TGF-ß to treat advanced cancers. It is currently being evaluated in a pivotal Phase 2/3 trial (FORTIFI-HN01) in combination with pembrolizumab for first-line HPV-negative, recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC)
Abstract 7: Surgical outcomes in KEYNOTE-689: Neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab (pembro) in resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA HNSCC)
- Presenter: Richard Bell, MD, Providence Cancer Institute Frantz Head and Neck Clinic, Portland
- Presentation: Friday, February 20, 11:00 a.m., Pacific time, Plenary Session II
The presenters report surgical details and outcomes for participants in the phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 study (NCT03765918) of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab (Keytruda®; Merck & Co/MSD), surgery, and adjuvant pembrolizumab + radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy (RT/CRT) vs surgery and RT/CRT for resectable, locally advanced (LA) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
Abstract 10: The Quarterback de-escalation trials: Sequential studies of induction chemotherapy and reduced dose chemoradiation for HPV positive oropharynx cancer
- Presenter: Michael Wotman, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston
- Presentation: Friday, February 20, 11:30 a.m., Pacific time, Plenary Session II
The study authors evaluated long-term outcomes in patients with locally advanced HPV-positive oropharynx cancer (HPV-OPC) treated with induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by reduced-dose chemoradiation (rdCRT). They hypothesized that de-escalated radiation therapy after IC would be non-inferior to standard-dose CRT (sdCRT). In this presentation, they report extended follow-up from two sequential clinical trials evaluating rdCRT after induction chemotherapy (IC) in patients with poor prognosis, molecularly confirmed HPV-OPC.
Clinical trials
A Study of Amivantamab Alone or in Addition to Other Treatment Agents in Participants With Head and Neck Cancer (OrigAMI-4) ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT06385080
Study of Pembrolizumab Given Prior to Surgery and in Combination With Radiotherapy Given Post-surgery for Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (MK-3475-689) ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT03765918
Reference
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[2] Hernando-Calvo A, Carvajal RD, Paik PK, Morris VK, Zandberg DP, Kaczmar JM, Bohr DN, Reiners RD, Gharakhani E, Salazar RL, Lizotte PH, Ivanova EV, Bedard PL, Hanna GJ. Phase I Clinical Trial of the Bifunctional EGFR/TGF-β Fusion Protein Ficerafusp Alfa (BCA101) Alone and in Combination with Pembrolizumab for Advanced Solid Tumors. Clin Cancer Res. 2025 Nov 14;31(22):4623-4632. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-25-0100. PMID: 40643947; PMCID: PMC12616243.
[3] Uppaluri R, Haddad RI, Tao Y, Le Tourneau C, Lee NY, Westra W, Chernock R, Tahara M, Harrington KJ, Klochikhin AL, Braña I, Vasconcelos Alves G, Hughes BGM, Oliva M, Pinto Figueiredo Lima I, Ueda T, Rutkowski T, Schroeder U, Mauz PS, Fuereder T, Laban S, Oridate N, Popovtzer A, Mach N, Korobko Y, Costa DA, Hooda-Nehra A, Rodriguez CP, Bell RB, Manschot C, Benjamin K, Gumuscu B, Adkins D; KEYNOTE-689 Investigators. Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2025 Jul 3;393(1):37-50. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2415434. Epub 2025 Jun 18. PMID: 40532178.
[4] Lovett JT, Wotman MT, Westra WH, Ahn S, Gupta V, Bakst RL, Roof S, Miles BA, Genden E, Misiukiewicz K, Worona L, Ramos E, Botzler J, Chen T, Posner M. Long-Term outcomes of induction chemotherapy-guided reduced-dose chemoradiotherapy in poor-risk HPV-Positive oropharyngeal Cancer: Results from the sequential quarterback trials. Oral Oncol. 2026 Mar;174:107858. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2026.107858. Epub 2026 Jan 20. PMID: 41564691.
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