Molecular biology of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: relevance and therapeutic implications

Abstract

More than 90% of all head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinoma. Despite advances in the management of patients with this disease, the survival rate has not been significantly improved. Several mechanisms of carcinogenesis have been elucidated and molecular targeted agents seem to be promising therapeutic tools. Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody inhibitor of the EGF receptor, improves survival rates in association with radiotherapy in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) or in palliative disease, and is nowadays the only targeted agent approved in this indication. Other targeted agents are also clinically relevant to the treatment of different malignancies, including SCCHN. This article focuses on the major molecular pathways implicated in SCCHN carcinogenesis and provides an overview of their therapeutic implications.

Keywords::

• angiogenesis
• clinical implications
• epidermal growth factor
• hepatocyte growth factor
• insulin-like growth factor
• molecular pathways
• risk factors
• squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
• targeted therapy

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Aileen Eiszele for editing this manuscript.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Jean-Pascal Machiels is a consultant for Genmab. Sandra Schmitz is supported by grants from the Fonds Spécial de Recherche (FSR) de l’Université Catholique de Louvain and the Fondation Saint-Luc, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc Louvain-La-Neuve in Brussels, Belgium. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.