Advancing head and neck cancer management: Unveiling the diagnostic and therapeutic potentials of molecular profiling.

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancers (HNC) present diagnostic challenges due to multifocal disease manifestations, posing difficulties in distinguishing between metastatic disease and second primary malignancies (SPM). This complexity underscores the need for advanced diagnostic approaches. Emerging technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and molecular classifier assays, show promise in providing precise insights into the diverse etiologies of HNC. METHOD: In this article, we employed NGS and molecular classifier assays to delve into three distinct clinical cases. The objective was to showcase the instrumental role of these technologies in facilitating accurate diagnoses and differentiating between metastatic disease and SPM in HNC cases. RESULTS: The results of this series highlight the effectiveness of NGS and molecular classifier assays in enhancing diagnostic accuracy for HNC and contributing to the precise differentiation of disease etiologies. The utilization of these advanced technologies proved instrumental in avoiding unnecessary interventions and paved the way for more targeted and effective treatment strategies. CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore the necessity of incorporating advanced molecular testing technologies into the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for HNC, thereby championing a more nuanced and effective approach to managing these complex cases.