Pitt Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Head & Neck Cancer Survivorship

04/26/2026

🔎 Great to be out in the community yesterday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex for a fantastic health fair alongside partners at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center (and of course, Margaret Quinn Rosenzweig), NHL AstraZeneca, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The rain and colder weather didn’t keep us away!

Dr. Joshua Smith. Pitt Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, and Marci Nilsen, PhD, RN, CHPN, FAAN, Director of the UPMC Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Clinic, had the opportunity to connect with community members, provide head and neck cancer screenings, and raise awareness about the importance of early detection and survivorship care. Events like this are a powerful reminder that bringing care into the community is essential to improving access, engagement, and outcomes. We look forward to continuing this work and reaching even more members of our community.

We’re grateful to everyone who stopped by, asked questions, and took steps toward prioritizing their health—and to the incredible team who made this event possible.

04/20/2026

New work led by Fendi Obuekwe — soon-to-be ENT resident — from our team, just published in Head & Neck. 📄

This study reflects something we see every day in survivorship care — patients' outcomes are shaped not only by treatment, but by the environments and resources around them.

By examining both individual- and neighborhood-level social determinants of health, we found that accumulating social risk is associated with worse quality of life and greater distress among head and neck cancer survivors. Neighborhood deprivation and insurance status emerged as particularly influential.

This reinforces the importance of integrating social determinants into how we design, deliver, and evaluate survivorship care — and the urgency of multilevel interventions that meet patients where they are.

04/17/2026

It's true! Survivors who come before radiation have better quality of life and lower symptom burden after treatment.

Did you know...

that head & neck cancer patients who come to survivorship early prior to radiation have a better quality of life?

Learn more at https://eyeandear.org/2026/03/precision-survivorship-using-data-to-transform-care/

04/15/2026

April is Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month, and this month we're centering the voices that matter most — survivors.

We'll be sharing stories throughout the month, and we want to hear yours. If you're a head and neck cancer survivor, we invite you to share your experience in the comments.

Your story could be the one that helps someone else feel less alone — or take that first step toward care.

After returning from a trip to France, Kris Molnar, an Executive Director for a non-profit in Wheeling, WV, went to the hospital with an extremely swollen face. After an MRI, a local physician diagnosed Kris with a benign tumor on the vagus nerve. Unfortunately, when surgeons got her in the operating room, they discovered it was cancer. Kris went back to her otolaryngologist and asked for a referral, as she was originally misdiagnosed, and she was referred to Jonas Johnson, MD.

“We talked about a lot of things when we first met,” she said. “[Dr. Johnson] impressed me with how quickly things happened.”

That same day, Kris met with medical and radiation oncology. She decided that they had one shot, and she would do whatever it took, and she did – Kris underwent a clinical trial regimen that combined chemo and radiation.

Although she suffered many side effects such as weight and hair loss, Kris completed treatment and is currently 14 years cancer-free. She continues to see Dr. Johnson and his team through the Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Clinic, for which she is extremely grateful for.

“I’ve gone through physical therapy and got my mouth to open much wider than before, I’ve had hearing tests, addressed my sleep problems, and saw the dentist. I have learned a lot of things that have helped me since I first started as a patient in the clinic.”

One of the most beneficial aspects of the clinic for Kris was the support she received.

“The process is strange, and you don’t know what’s normal. The Survivorship Clinic helps facilitate discussion about what you’re going through,” she said. “Dr. Johnson and Marci make you feel like you’ve known each other for years, and they truly listen to you.”

Today, Kris is living a fulfilling live with her husband, spending time with horses, volunteering, and traveling.

Kris’s advice to future head and neck cancer patients and survivors is to take advantage of every opportunity, and always remain positive. “Step through it with grit, knowing life will be better on the other end.”

04/13/2026

A head and neck cancer diagnosis comes with a lot of unknowns. One of the first questions patients ask is:

What does treatment actually involve?

The answer depends on the type, location, and stage of the cancer — but for most patients, treatment involves one or more of these approaches:

🔹 Surgery
For many head and neck cancers, surgery can be a first step — removing the tumor and, in some cases, nearby lymph nodes.

🔹 Radiation therapy
Radiation uses high-energy beams to target and destroy cancer cells. It may be used on its own or after surgery to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.

🔹 Chemotherapy
Chemo is often used alongside radiation to make cancer cells more sensitive to treatment.

🔹 Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy represents a new frontier in head and neck cancer care. Rather than directly attacking cancer cells, it works by helping the body's own immune system recognize and fight them.

For many patients, treatment involves a combination of these — coordinated by a multidisciplinary team including surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, and other healthcare providers working together toward the same goal.

Treatment is never one-size-fits-all. Every plan is built around the individual.

💬 If you or someone you love is navigating a head and neck cancer diagnosis, what questions do you wish you had asked at the start of treatment?

04/10/2026

Congratulations to Maryanna Owoc, MD, PhD on having her late-breaking abstract selected for podium presentation at the AHNS 12th Annual International Conference for Head and Neck Cancer! 🎉

Pre-treatment survivorship clinic attendance is associated with improved survival in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy
Proffered Papers 36 – Survivorship · Tuesday, July 21, 2026 · Boston, MA

This work speaks directly to the impact of early, coordinated survivorship care — and we couldn't be happier to see it recognized on this stage.

Stay tuned — we'll be sharing a full list of our presentations as we get closer to the conference. We hope to see everyone in Boston!

04/08/2026

Many head and neck cancers are diagnosed late — because the early signs are easy to explain away.

A sore throat that won't quit. A lump in the neck. Difficulty swallowing. A change in your voice that lingers for weeks.

These symptoms don't always mean cancer. But if they don't resolve after 2–3 weeks, they're worth a conversation with your doctor.

Head and neck cancers account for about 4% of all cancers in the United States — and early detection makes a significant difference in treatment options and outcomes.

This April, we're asking one thing: don't wait and see. If something feels off, get it checked.

💬 If you're a head and neck cancer survivor — what symptoms made you seek care? Share your story in the comments. Your words could help someone else take that first step.

04/06/2026

April is Head & Neck Cancer Awareness Month

Over the next month, we'll be sharing information on prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship — because knowledge saves lives.

But this month isn't just about facts and figures. You'll also hear directly from the people who matter most — patients, caregivers, and the providers who walk alongside them every step of the way.

We're honored to share their stories. Stay with us.

03/28/2026

Cancer Bridges offers several resources for cancer survivors, including support groups. This month the Head and Neck Cancer support group will talk Life after Radiation Therapy, Managing Long-Term Effects.

Cancer Bridges Head and Neck Cancer Support Group will meet on Wednesday, April 1st, at 6 PM on Zoom and welcome Guest Speaker Yvonne Mowery, MD, PhD, DABR, who will discuss Life after Radiation Therapy, Managing Long-Term Effects. Register on Cancer Bridges calendar or call us to get connected!

03/27/2026

🎉 Great way to end the week!

Congratulations to Fendi Obuekwe on the acceptance of "Social Determinants of Health and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Among Head and Neck Cancer Survivors" in Head & Neck — and in the special issue on Patient-Centered Research in Head and Neck Cancer, no less! Stay tuned and we will let you know when it is available online. 🙌

03/23/2026

🎉 A huge congratulations to Fendi Obuekwe, who matched into Otolaryngology at the University of Miami! Fendi completed a two-year research fellowship with Dr. Marci Lee Nilsen, PhD, RN, CHPN, FAAN, and the Pitt Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Head & Neck Survivorship Program, bringing both advanced research training and a deep commitment to patient-centered care to her work.

Fendi, your hard work, talent, and dedication have brought you to this moment — we are so proud of you and cannot wait to see the impact you will make.