Detection, prediction, and prognosis: blood circulating microRNA as novel molecular markers of head and neck cancer patients

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The increase in the number of new head and neck cancer (HNC) cases is expected in the coming decades; therefore, an investigation of novel and noninvasive markers for tumor detection, prediction and prognosis is an urgency for cancer management. Among the putative and universal markers of the tumor, microRNAs (miRNAs) seem to be the most promising.

Areas covered: In the following review paper, the recent studies analyzing potential utility of blood circulating miRNAs for HNC diagnosis, prediction, and prognosis were summarized and discussed.

Expert opinion: Circulating miRNAs demonstrate numerous advantages and potentially high applicability in routine clinical practice for HNC diagnosis, prediction, and prognosis. However, currently the particular attention should be devoted to the disadvantages, such as methodological aspects, number of known miRNAs, tumor heterogeneity or tests validation and possible ways of their solution.

KEYWORDS:

• Head and neck cancer
• miRNAs
• cancer screening
• prognostic factor
• cancer prediction
• cancer biomarkers

Article highlights

• The predominance of miRNAs over other HNC markers is the possibility of their analysis in noninvasive manner using liquid biopsy technique

• Expression of the circulating miRNAs differ significantly between HNC patients and healthy individuals

• Circulating miRNAs can serve as complementary markers which facilitate the therapeutic decision in addition to clinical features of HNC

• Blood miRNAs can allow the selection of HNC patients who are at a high risk of short-term overall survival or disease-free survival

• The major problem is the heterogeneity of HNC and the number of known miRNAs sequences, hence validation of new clinical markers is tedious and laborious, also because of methodological differences

Declaration of interest

The authors have no 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. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewers Disclosure

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.