The MUSC Head and Neck Tumor Program has experienced significant growth over the past nine years under the leadership of head and neck surgery division director Dr. Terry A. Day. The program currently sees more than 400 new cases of head and neck tumors annually and prospectively reviews more than 1,000 cases per year at the weekly Head and Neck and Thyroid Tumor Board, the most of any tumor site at the Hollings Cancer Center and approximately half of all head and neck tumors diagnosed in the state of South Carolina. The Head and Neck and Thyroid Tumor Board is a multi-disciplinary effort involving 15 specialties and includes teleconferencing with the Hollings Cancer Center network statewide. There are currently 10 open head and neck clinical trials representing a mixture of investigator initiated (3 studies), corporate (3), national cooperative group (2), and DOD/VA (2) sponsorship. The Head and Neck Tumor Program ranks second behind hematology oncology in clinical trial recruitment within the cancer center. The program is the main source of study tissue to the valuable MUSC Hollings Tissue Bank Core with more than 500 specimens submitted. The Head and Neck and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship program continues to attract the brightest candidates from across the country, and has continued to fill its fellowship at a time when other nationally recognized programs have not filled their positions. The fellowship was recently accredited by the Advanced Training Council of the American Head and Neck Society.

The key components of any head and neck team includes specialties from multiple disciplines, background and training.  The key specialties at MUSC include specialists in head and neck surgery (Drs. Judith  Skoner, Eric Lentsch, Joshua Hornig, M. Boyd Gillespie, Roy Sessions, and Terry Day), Radiation Oncology (Dr. Anand Sharma), Medical Oncology (Drs. Paul O’Brien and Keisuke Shirai), Dental Oncology (Drs. Betsy Davis and Brad Neville), Speech/Swallowing Pathology (Dr. Bonnie Martin-Harris and Julie Blair), Pathology (Drs. Mary Richardson and Tihana Rumboldt), and Radiology (Dr. Zoran Rumboldt).  Together, these specialists and others in Neurosurgery, Rhinology, Nutrition, Nursing, Physical/Occupational Therapy, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, and Research provide a comprehensive care unit for all patients under one roof.

The growth and expanding national and international reputation of the MUSC Head and Neck Tumor Program was most recently displayed at the 7th International Head and Neck Cancer Conference in July 2008. The MUSC program had 26 presentations surpassing almost every other head and neck cancer teams around the world. The presentations were a true multi-disciplinary effort involving five MUSC colleges (Medicine, Dental Medicine, Health Professions, Graduate Studies, Nursing) and six departments within the School of Medicine (Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Radiation Oncology, Radiology, Cell Biology and Immunology, Pathology, Medicine -divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Endocrinology). Notable achievements included Best Clinical Paper for A Comparison of Outcomes in Minimally Invasive Video-Assisted Thyroidectomy versus Open Thyroidectomy by Dr. Joshua Hornig and colleagues, and Best Poster for Radiation Dose, Driving Performance, and Cognitive Function in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer by Dr. Hon Yuen and associates.

The Program is well positioned for expansion and fundraising to develop a state, regional, and national center of excellence for patient care, research, and education.