In 2020, more than 400 000 deaths occurred as the result of head and neck cancers (HNC) globally. This is about half of the 900 000 cases reported that year.¹ It is anticipated that these numbers will only continue to rise and reach approximately 1.08 million cases annually by 2030.¹,²,³ In the Netherlands alone, over 3000 patients are diagnosed with HNC yearly.⁴
Current treatments are highly dependent on the location in the body and severity of the disease. These treatments often require a combination of surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.⁵ Despite being a combination of established treatment techniques, this multidisciplinary approach often results in severe consequences such as speech impairment, loss of salivary function and damaged neurological functions.⁵,⁶