In the month that marks the 10th anniversary of the global awareness campaign on head and neck cancer called “Green July,” institutions affiliated with the University of Campinas (Unicamp) are organizing the 1st Green July Symposium – Head and Neck Cancer. Scheduled for July 13th, the event will feature lectures and clinical case discussions led by 38 researchers and specialist doctors. The symposium will be held in person, and participation is free with registration via this link (limited to 130 seats).

The joint initiative between the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM/Unicamp), the Institute of Otorhinolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery (IOU/Unicamp), and the CEPID CancerThera will provide a significant opportunity for specialists from various fields to exchange updated knowledge on the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck tumors. These complex diseases require the collaborative work of multidisciplinary teams in patient care. “By creating an environment conducive to interaction, we hope the symposium fosters future scientific collaborations and promotes a better approach to patients,” highlights Lígia Traldi Macedo, an oncologist at the Unicamp Clinical Hospital and associate researcher at CancerThera.

During the sessions, discussions will cover current diagnostic and clinical aspects, considering ongoing research, the use of advanced radiotherapy, and the latest surgical approaches related to rehabilitation and patient quality of life. Topics under debate include multimodal imaging assessment (essential for accurate diagnosis and staging), new surgical techniques considering the impact of the human papillomavirus, and the HYPNO hypofractionation protocol to optimize treatments within the public health system structure.

Additionally, new therapeutic perspectives for advanced tumors and the possibility of laryngeal preservation will be discussed, along with recent developments in clinical research, including liquid biopsy and metallopharmaceuticals in head and neck tumors. “This event will allow us to assess the importance of integrating Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Oncology, Radiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Surgery, Clinical Research, and Translational Research,” says Carlos Takahiro Chone, an otorhinolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, professor at FCM/Unicamp, and associate researcher at CancerThera.

The expected audience includes specialist doctors and residents in Oncology, Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Radiology, Radiotherapy, Speech Therapy, and Nuclear Medicine; students from the Graduate Program in Oncology at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Unicamp (FCM/Unicamp); and undergraduate medical students from the Campinas Metropolitan Region.

Head and neck cancer in numbers

Head and neck cancer includes malignancies of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, nasal cavity, sinuses, skin of the head and neck, skull base, thyroid, and neck. It is the fourth most common cancer in men and the fifth most common in women. The National Cancer Institute (Inca) estimates 17,500 new cases of oral and laryngeal cancer and 14,100 new cases of thyroid cancer in Brazil each year. Mortality rates have been rising, reaching 65%, mainly due to late diagnosis in biopsies or delays in referring patients for specialized treatment at reference centers.

The organizing committee of the 1st Green July Symposium – Head and Neck Cancer hopes the event will serve as a catalyst for the awareness month on head and neck tumors, which are often diagnosed late. Approximately 75% of cases are classified as locally advanced—when cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, it is referred to as “locally advanced.”

About the Green July campaign

Named “Green July,” the campaign involves 55 medical societies specializing in head and neck surgery from 51 countries, various government agencies, and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). In 2014, the Brazilian Society of Head and Neck Surgery (SBCCP) participated in the 5th Congress of the International Federation of Head and Neck Oncological Societies, where July 27th was designated as the awareness day for these tumors. Since then, SBCCP has established Green July in Brazil, supported by affiliated entities, the World Health Organization (WHO), UICC, and the Brazilian government, which incorporated the date into the official Ministry of Health calendar. The month of July was officially designated throughout Brazil by Law No. 14,328, enacted on April 20, 2022, as the National Month for the Fight Against Head and Neck Cancer.

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1st Green July Symposium – Head and Neck Cancer

📅 Date: 07/13/24 (Saturday), 08:00 AM – 5:30 PM
📍 Location: IOU/Unicamp Amphitheater | Av. Pref. José Roberto Magalhães Teixeira, 150 – Cidade Universitária, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
👥 Capacity: 130 seats
✍️ Free registration via this link: www.fcm.unicamp.br/eventos/evento/574

Organizers

Center for Research, Innovation, and Dissemination CancerThera (CEPID CancerThera)
São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
Institute of Otorhinolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery at Unicamp (IOU/Unicamp)
Graduate Program in Oncology at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Unicamp (Oncology – FCM/Unicamp)

Institutional Support

Brazilian Association of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervical-Facial Surgery (ABORL-CCF)
Association of Alumni and Friends of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Unicamp (Alumni – FCM/Unicamp)
Center for Rehabilitation Studies and Research (Cepre/Unicamp)
Undergraduate Program in Speech Therapy at Unicamp (Fonoaudiologia/Unicamp)
Unicamp Academic Oncology League (LAOn/Unicamp)
Unicamp Academic League of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (LORLCCP)
Brazilian Society of Head and Neck Surgery (SBCCP)
Brazilian Society of Nuclear Medicine (SBMN)
Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology (SBOC)
Brazilian Society of Radiotherapy (SBRT)

PROGRAM

8:00 – 8:15: Welcome coffee, attendance registration, and badge collection

8:15 – 8:30: Opening session Responsible: Prof. Dr. Agrício Crespo, Prof. Dr. Carlos Takahiro Chone, and Prof. Dr. Carmen Silvia Passos Lima

8:30 – 10:00: Panel 1: Multimodal Imaging Evaluation in Head and Neck Tumors (Radiology and Nuclear Medicine) Chair: Dr. André del Negro
Secretary: Dr. Viviane Oliveira Marcacine

Lecture 1: “Radiological imaging for diagnosis and follow-up: when to prefer MRI”

Dr. João Maurício Carrasco Altemani – HC/Unicamp, Radiology (30 min)

Lecture 2: “Nuclear Medicine in diagnosis and follow-up: the role of PET-CT and NIRADS classification”

Prof. Dr. Celso Darío Ramos – FCM/Unicamp, Nuclear Medicine (30 min)

Discussion and Q&A (10 min)
Clinical case discussion (20 min)

Dr. Milena Yonamine – HC/Unicamp, Radiology
Moderator: Dr. João Maurício Carrasco Altemani
Panelists: Dr. Antônio Carlos Zuliani, Dr. Flávio Gripp, Dr. Frederico Leal, Dr. Helena Paes de Almeida Saito, and Dr. Rafael Ricardo Miranda Zapata

10:00 – 10:30: Coffee break

10:30 – 13:00: Panel 2: Surgical Approaches and Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Tumors (Surgery and Radiotherapy) Chair: Dr. Eduardo Baldon Pereira
Secretary: Dr. Daniel Naves Araújo Teixeira

Lecture 1: “Surgical techniques in oropharyngeal cancer: what has changed with HPV?”

Prof. Dr. Alfio Tincani – FCM/Unicamp, Head and Neck Surgery (30 min)

Lecture 2: “Organ-preserving surgeries: is it still worthwhile?”

Prof. Dr. Carlos Takahiro Chone – FCM/Unicamp, Head and Neck Surgery (30 min)

Lecture 3: “Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer treatment: state of the art”

Dr. Fábio Ribeiro Fulanetto – HC/Unicamp, Radiotherapy (30 min)

Lecture 4: “Hypofractionated radiotherapy in head and neck neoplasms: HYPNO protocol”

Dr. Alexandre Arthur Jacinto – Hospital de Amor de Barretos, Radiotherapy (30 min)

Discussion and Q&A (30 min)
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Carlos Takahiro Chone
Panelists: Prof. Dr. Ana Carolina Constantini, Dr. André del Negro, Prof. Dr. José Luís Braga de Aquino, and Dr. Rodrigo Marotta

13:00 – 14:00: Lunch break

14:00 – 15:30: Panel 3: Advances in Oncological Treatment of Head and Neck Tumors (Oncology) Chair: Dr. Carolina Marques Lopes Nourani
Secretary: Dr. Vivian Naomi Horita

Lecture 1: “Larynx preservation: what do we know today?”

Dr. Lígia Traldi Macedo – HC/Unicamp, Oncology (30 min)

Lecture 2: “Current perspectives in treatment”

Dr. Aline Lauda Chaves – Dom Oncologia, Oncology (30 min)

Discussion and Q&A (10 min)
Clinical case discussion (20 min)

Dr. Rafaela Melo Campos Borges – Beneficência Portuguesa, Oncology
Moderator: Dr. Malu Viter da Rosa Barbosa
Panelists: Dr. David Pinheiro Cunha, Dr. Eduardo Baldon Pereira, Dr. Francesco Sansone Bermejo, Dr. Simone Felitti, and Dr. Vanessa Carvalho de Oliveira

15:30 – 16:00: Coffee break

16:00 – 17:30: Panel 4: Perspectives on Diagnosis and Treatment in Head and Neck Tumors (CEPID CancerThera) Chair: Prof. Dr. Carlos Takahiro Chone
Secretary: Dr. Juliana Carron

Lecture 1: “Circulating cells and liquid biopsy: current indications and future perspectives”

Dr. Thiago Bueno – Hospital A. C. Camargo Cancer Center, Oncology (30 min)

Lecture 2: “Metallopharmaceuticals and theranostics”

Prof. Dr. Carmen Silvia Passos Lima – FCM/Unicamp, Oncology (30 min)

Discussion and Q&A (30 min)
Moderator: Dr. Pedro Tambellini Arouca
Panelists: Dr. Éricka Francislaine Dias Costa, Dr. Fernanda Van Petten de Vasconcelos Azevedo, Prof. Dr. Gustavo Jacob Lourenço, and Dr. Marcos Aurélio Fonseca Magalhães Filho

17:30: Closing remarks
Responsible: Prof. Dr. Carlos Takahiro Chone, Prof. Dr. Carmen Silvia Passos Lima, Dr. Eduardo Baldon Pereira, Dr. Fábio Ribeiro Fulanetto, and Dr. Lígia Traldi Macedo