- NOTE: the principal investigator (PI) of the study, Dr. Mendez, is a surgical ear, nose and throat (ENT) (head and neck) oncologist and all HNSCC cases will be discussed at the University of Washington/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance weekly tumor conference where two other ENT surgical oncologists, and co-investigators in this study, will help assess resectability; as surgical unresectability may vary from patient to patient based on individual anatomy, treating physicians may, with the approval of the surgical team, declare a tumor not meeting the above criteria to be unresectable; in this case, the reason for unresectability should be documented in the medical record; medical co-morbidity and poor performance status may not be used to declare a patient unresectable