Promote biomarker identification for early detection of head and neck cancers through AHEAD and EDRN programs under the leadership and collaboration between NIDCR and NCI

The Oral Mucosa & Cancer Biology Program at National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) supports research activities that improve early detection and treatment of cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, and salivary glands. National Cancer Institute (NCI)'s Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) supports discovery, development, and validation of biomarkers and imaging methods for early detection and risk assessment of cancer, translating these discoveries into clinical tests. NIDCR and NCI have a long-standing collaborative relationship and jointly launched the AHEAD Program (Advancing Head and Neck Cancer Early Detection) in 2023. The AHEAD program co-funds seven research projects aimed at discovering and developing molecular signatures of early detection and diagnosis of HPV positive and negative head and neck cancer (HNC). The AHEAD leadership team and investigators actively participated in the EDRN Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Cancers Collaborative Group and have shared their work widely through national and international conference presentations and publications in high-impact journals. AHEAD investigators have also organized and led symposia and workshops at major scientific meetings to raise awareness of early detection and diagnosis of HNC. Ongoing AHEAD activities include identifying and validating biomarkers for early detection, creating a virtual tumor bank of oral potentially malignant disorders, conducting spatial transcriptomics analyses to identify high priority biomarkers, and publishing papers to describe AHEAD activities and progress. At the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting, NIDCR and NCI program directors will present an overview of the AHEAD program, highlighting collaborative efforts and funding opportunities between the two institutes, with an emphasis on early cancer detection and biomarker discovery and validation. This collaboration between NIDCR and NCI provides a unique and powerful platform to advance basic, translational, and clinical research aimed at improving early detection of head and neck cancer and ultimately benefiting patients.