Dear Colleagues,

What an honor it is to serve as the AHNS president during the 100th edition of the eNews! Our society has certainly come a long way over the years and 2020 has been a year for the record books for many reasons. We have been dealt many challenges both as surgeons and in our personal life. But we have also been dealt opportunities that we may never have been faced with before. And, as lifelong learners, those opportunities have allowed us to grow within our specialty and as part of this organization.

We learned how to fill educational gaps, despite not having an annual meeting. We recognized there was a need for our fellows to continue learning and our CDMS Service developed and conducted monthly virtual tumor boards. We also converted many of the topics we were going to have at our international conference into a virtual education series and it will continue through spring 2021. We will also be hosting our first international webinar with India on Feb. 6, 2021. More details will be emailed soon.

We learned that when faced with a crisis we come together as a community. The COVID Bulletin Board and COVID Forum brought the best research on this novel virus to the forefront and allowed us all to connect and share best practices.

We learned that connecting and progress can occur wherever we are. ATC fellowship interviews took place remotely, our service and section meetings all took place via zoom and many of the society initiatives were still implemented despite not physically being together. The business and operations of the society were minimally interrupted, even through a worldwide pandemic, and that is an accomplishment in itself.

We learned that science once again makes the world a better and safe place. With the vaccine currently being distributed to many of our institutions, the hope of us coming together again to learn in-person is looking more and more promising. Please save the dates for next year’s 10th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer in Chicago, July 22-25, 2021. More information will be available here: https://www.ahns2021.org/

Thank you for your dedication to the AHNS! If you have any suggestions or comments for our society, please do not hesitate to reach out to me through our AHNS headquarters office ([email protected]). My very best wishes for a safe, healthy and wonderful holiday season and New Year! Cheers to 2021!

 Cherie-Ann Nathan, MD
President, AHNS

DIVISION UPDATES

EDUCATION DIVISION

The Advanced Training Council of the AHNS is pleased to announce the dates for the Fellowship Match for 2022. With the FY2021 class very recently selected, the dates for FY2022 will be shifted slightly – the revised dates for FY2022 are as follows:

For Fellowships beginning  July 1, 2022

Application Period: January 15, 2021 – March 1, 2021
Interview period – March 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021
Ranking List opens for Programs and Applications: July 1, 2021 – July 12, 2021
Match results announced: Friday, July 16, 2021

Applicants Note: The application period has been shortened from 8 weeks to 6 weeks. Collecting letters of recommendation is usually the most time-consuming aspect of the application, so applicants for FY2022 are encouraged to start making their letter requests right away (the application requires a minimum of 3 letters). Recommenders can either give the letter to the applicant to upload to their online application, or, if the recommender wishes send their letters confidentially, they can be sent to AHNS Associate Executive Director JJ Jackman between now and the close of the application period.

Please contact JJ in the AHNS Administrative office if you have any questions ([email protected], 310.437.0559 x154).

Sincerely,
Ara Chalian & Don Weed
Chairs, AHNS Advanced Training Council

AHNS Journal Club

 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

In 2021 the AHNS Journal Club will begin its seventh year of publication! We are looking for new volunteers who would like to join the team. The goals for Journal Club are to disseminate information regularly to the AHNS membership regarding important head and neck cancer articles in a format that makes it easy and time-efficient for them to stay up-to-date on the literature, and to foster discussion of relevant articles and create an interactive format that is open to all members and free from any bias.

Journal Club members find and share articles they think would be of interest to the larger AHNS membership. Four to five 4-5 articles are selected each month for publication, including a brief summary authored by club members, citing the article’s strengths and weaknesses.

If you would like to get on the Journal Club team, please contact Melody Jacobs in the AHNS administrative office ([email protected])

And finally, a big THANK YOU to Drs. Luis Kowalski, Jason Kass, Mark Vavares and Samer Al-Khudari – the time, energy and enthusiasm you brought to this publication is very much appreciated – thank you for seven years of Journal Club participation!

Sincerely,
Vikas Mehta, MD
Chair, AHNS Journal Club

SECTION UPDATES

 From the Endocrine Section

This represents an interval report on the Endocrine Section activities.
Please join us for our next webinar on AHNS Endocrine Tumor Board on 01/21/21. The registration link will be available soon. The AHNS Endocrine Section has the next 6 months planned out for a webinar each month – watch for the flyers!!

Our AHNS Endocrine Section and BAETS joint webinar on Thyroid/Parathyroid Surgery that was held on December 12, 2020 was a success. This was the first joint AHNS -British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons (BAETS) organizations We had ~ 130 registered participants. Moderators Gregory Randolph and Neil Tolley of BAETS were joined by discussants Brendan Stack of the AHNS and David Scott-Coombs of BAETS. Three cases were presented by Fiona Eatock (BAETS), Cherie-Ann Nathan (AHNS) and Fausto Palazzo (BAETS). Given our successful collaboration in this webinar as well in a recent white paper on Revision Parathyroidectomy we plan additional education sessions.

Twitter Chat Session between the AHNS Endocrine Section and ThyCa-lead by Allen Ho

On December 10th, the AHNS Endocrine Section, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), and ThyCa teamed up for the final Twitter Chat of 2020.  The topic focused on “Controversies in Thyroid Cancer” and focused on modern advances in management.  The chat was a resounding success given the multidisciplinary perspectives – endocrinologists, surgeons, and especially patients shared their experiences and best practices, with productive dialogue amongst all parties. Many ThyCa patients questions were answered and discussed.

Overall, there were more than 460 tweets and 1.35 million impressions!

AHNS Endocrine Section members who participated included Amy Chen, Apurva Garg, Allen Ho, Daniel Kwon, Caitlin McMullen, Greg Randolph, Merry Sebelik, Brendan Stack, and James Wu.

We have a full slate of Twitter chats with ThyCa and the AHNS  in 2021. Many thanks to the leadership of Allen Ho for these wonderful conversations between ThyCa, the AHNS Endocrine section and AACE.

See you on March 11, 2021 for the next
#AHNSchat

We wish you all a happy and safe holiday!!

Respectfully submitted,

Greg Randolph MD FACS FACE
AHNS Endocrine Section Chair

Brendan C. Stack, Jr., MD FACS FACE
AHNS Endocrine Section Vice Chair

 
AHNS Salivary Gland Section

Thanks to Zoom and the perseverance of our section members and dedicated AHNS staff, the work of AHNS Salivary Section has continued throughout the Fall of 2020.

Below is the news to share with the AHNS membership:

1. The AHNS Salivary Section ad hoc task force on facial nerve monitoring during parotidectomy completed its 12-month effort with a manuscript currently under review. Special thanks to committee members M. Boyd Gillespie; Danny Enepekides ; Robert Witt; Joseph F. Goodman; Ameya Asarkar; and Mirabelle Sajisevi.

2. The AHNS Salivary Section website subcommittee completed two tasks that should appear on the website soon. Special thanks to Drs. Kiran Kakarala and Trevor Hackman for their important contributions:

Parotidectomy Patient Handout-draft completed
Salivary Tumor Patient Information Page

3. The AHNS Salivary Section research subcommittee recently wrote and submitted the below grant for consideration for funding from AHNS industry partners. Special thanks to section co-chair Danny Enepekides in his leadership with this effort. If accepted, all members at high-volume centers that treat salivary malignancy will be asked to participate in this central database study:

• Does adjuvant radiation improve outcomes in low-grade salivary gland cancer (LGSGC) with close or positive margins?

Respectfully,
Boyd Gillespie, MD and Danny Enepekides, MD
Salivary Gland Section Chair and Vice-Chair

On December 10^th, the AHNS Endocrine Section, American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), and ThyCa teamed up for the final Twitter Chat of 2020.  The topic focused on “Controversies in Thyroid Cancer” and focused on modern advances in management.  The chat was a resounding success given the multidisciplinary perspectives – endocrinologists, surgeons, and especially patients shared their experiences and best practices, with productive dialogue amongst all parties. Many ThyCa patients questions were answered and discussed.  

Best,
Brendan Stack, MD Vice Chair AHNS Endocrine Section
Greg Randolph, MD Chair AHNS Endocrine Section

1. AHNS.AAO-HNSF Young Investigator Combined Award – Open to fellows and assistant professors. Must be AHNS member (may be candidate member). To support research in neoplastic disease of the head and neck. Up to two years, $20,000 per year. One award available per year.
2. AHNS/AAO-HNSF Translational Innovator Award – Applicants must have completed residency or fellowship training in seven years or less prior to submitting application. Candidates need to have demonstrated the capacity or potential for a highly productive independent research career with an emphasis in head and neck surgical oncology. Two years, non-renewable, $80,000 maximum ($40,000 per year), one available annually.
3. AHNS Pilot Grant – Open to Medical Students, residents, PhD, and Junior Faculty residing in the U.S. or Canada to support basic, translational, or clinical research projects in head and neck oncology. One year, $10,000.00. One award available this year.
4. AHNS Ballantyne Resident Research Pilot Grant – for best grant application by a resident, this award utilizes the same forms and guidelines as the pilot grant (above). One year, non-renewable, $10,000 maximum total costs. One award available per year. The top ranked pilot award will be honored as the Ballantyne Award.
5. AHNS Endocrine Surgery Section Eisai Research Award – Open to medical students focusing in otolaryngology, otolaryngology residents, PhDs or faculty members in otolaryngology departments. Research topics must relate to endocrine surgery or disease. Preference will be given to early-stage investigators (10 years or less from a terminal degree or fellowship training) or more experienced researchers pursuing a new line of inquiry for which pilot data are needed. One year, $10,000.00. One award available this year.
6. AHNS Endocrine Surgery Section Stryker Research Grant – Open to medical students focusing in otolaryngology, otolaryngology residents, PhDs or faculty members in otolaryngology departments. Research topics must relate to endocrine surgery or disease. Preference will be given to early-stage investigators (10 years or less from a terminal degree or fellowship training) or more experienced researchers pursuing a new line of inquiry for which pilot data are needed. One year, $10,000.00. One award available this year.
7. AHNS Presidential Request for Application Pilot Award on Mucosal Head and Neck Cancer Research – Open to all otolaryngology-head and neck surgery residents, fellows, and faculty. Previous AHNS or AAO-HNS Foundation research grant recipients are eligible to compete for this grant. However, candidates who have successfully obtained funding from a private, institutional, or federal funding agency for the same research are ineligible. Candidates who have applied for support of the same research from other funding sources, and who are notified of an award from both another agency and from AHNS must choose only one of the awards. One year, $10,000. One award available.
8. AHNS Presidential Request for Application Pilot Award on Salivary Gland Cancer Research – Open to active AHNS members, or trainees (ACGME-accredited otolaryngology residents or AHNS-accredited head and neck surgery fellows) sponsored by an AHNS member can apply. Previous AHNS or AAO-HNS Foundation research grant recipients are eligible to compete for this grant. However, candidates who have successfully obtained funding from a private, institutional, or federal funding agency for the same research are ineligible. Candidates who have applied for support of the same research from other funding sources, and who are notified of an award from both another agency and from AHNS must choose only one of the awards. One year, $10,000. One award available.
9. AHNS Presidential Request for Application Pilot Award on Basic and Translational Research – This high risk, high reward grant is open to early or mid-career investigators who are AHNS members in good standing. Previous AHNS or AAO-HNS Foundation research grant recipients are eligible to compete for this grant. However, candidates who have successfully obtained funding from a private, institutional, or federal funding agency for the same research are ineligible. Candidates who have applied for support of the same research from other funding sources, and who are notified of an award from both another agency and from AHNS must choose only one of the awards. One year, $10,000. One award available.

Best,
Brendan Stack, MD Vice Chair AHNS Endocrine Section
Greg Randolph, MD Chair AHNS Endocrine Section