Medical Oncology
Dr Esma Saada-Bouzid, MD, PhD
3-6 months
Visiting Observership
Intermediate or higher level of English is required. Knowledge of French is an important addition.
Programme description
We propose a 3-to-6-month clinical fellowship in Medical Oncology specialised in head and neck malignancies, hosted within the Department of Medical Oncology at Centre Antoine Lacassagne and integrated into the academic framework of the Institut Universitaire de la Face et du Cou (IUFC), under the mentorship of Pr Esma Saada-Bouzid.
The Centre Antoine Lacassagne is nationally recognised as an expert referral centre for cervico-facial oncological surgery and medical management of head and neck cancers. This expertise is formally institutionalised through the Institut Universitaire de la Face et du Cou (IUFC), a hospital-university cooperation structure (Groupement de Coopération Sanitaire, GCS) co-founded by CAL and the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) of Nice in 2011.
The IUFC constitutes the reference multidisciplinary structure for the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of head and neck cancers in the PACA-Est region, covering a catchment population of approximately 1.4 million inhabitants. It brings together medical oncologists, ENT surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, radiation oncologists, diagnostic radiologists, nuclear medicine specialists, and pathologists within a single academic institution, ensuring true multidisciplinary care for each patient.
All patients with head and neck malignancies are systematically discussed at a dedicated multidisciplinary tumour board (Réunion de Concertation Pluridisciplinaire, RCP), held on a weekly basis. This RCP serves as the regional reference panel for the entire PACA-East area. Fellows will actively participate in these tumour boards, gaining exposure to complex clinical decision-making across the full disease continuum — from early locoregional disease to recurrent and metastatic settings.
Centre Antoine Lacassagne is a leading participant in national (GORTEC network) and international head and neck cancer clinical trials. Several Phase I, II, and III studies are open to enrolment at any given time, spanning novel immunotherapy combinations, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), cancer vaccines (including HPV-targeted therapeutic vaccines), and targeted therapies. Fellows will have the opportunity to contribute to the research portfolio through individual or collaborative projects, including participation in ongoing translational studies. Involvement in abstract and manuscript preparation is encouraged and expected where feasible.
As a complement to the medical oncology training, fellows will gain familiarity with the surgical management of head and neck malignancies through tumour board participation and case discussions.
The PACA-East Molecular Tumour Board (RCPE Moléculaire), operational since 2016, reviews patients with advanced malignancies — including head and neck cancers — to identify actionable molecular alterations and guide enrolment into matched targeted therapy trials. Molecular analyses are performed at the PACA-Est Cancer Molecular Genetics Platform and through the national ultra-high-throughput sequencing programme AURAGEN. The database currently encompasses molecular and clinical profiles of more than 3,600 patients. Fellows are expected to attend RCPE sessions relevant to head and neck oncology.
