Translational research in head and neck cancer: Molecular and immunological updates

Takumi Kumai; Hirotaka Shinomiya; Hirofumi Shibata; Hideaki Takahashi; Toshihiro Kishikawa; Ryuhei Okada; Shigeharu Fujieda; Masafumi Sakashita

doi:10.1016/j.anl.2023.08.006

Translational research in head and neck cancer: Molecular and immunological updates

Auris Nasus Larynx. 2024 Apr;51(2):391-400. doi: 10.1016/j.anl.2023.08.006. Epub 2023 Aug 27.

Authors

Takumi Kumai¹, Hirotaka Shinomiya², Hirofumi Shibata³, Hideaki Takahashi⁴, Toshihiro Kishikawa⁵, Ryuhei Okada⁶, Shigeharu Fujieda⁷, Masafumi Sakashita⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan. Electronic address: t-kumai@asahikawa-med.ac.jp.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. Electronic address: hshino@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
³ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan. Electronic address: shibata.hirofumi.b3@f.gifu-u.ac.jp.
⁴ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan. Electronic address: htk98@yokohama-cu.ac.jp.
⁵ Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan. Electronic address: tkishikawa513@gmail.com.
⁶ Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: okadoto@tmd.ac.jp.
⁷ Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. Electronic address: fujieda@u-fukui.ac.jp.
⁸ Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan. Electronic address: msaka@u-fukui.ac.jp.

PMID: 37640594
DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2023.08.006

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has a poor prognosis. Each year, approximately 880,000 patients are newly diagnosed with HNSCC worldwide, and 450,000 patients with HNSCC die. Risk factors for developing HNSCC have been identified, with cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and viral infections being the major factors. Owing to the prevalence of human papillomavirus infection, the number of HNSCC cases is increasing considerably. Surgery and chemoradiotherapy are the primary treatments for HNSCC. With advancements in tumor biology, patients are eligible for novel treatment modalities, namely targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and photoimmunotherapy. Because this area of research has rapidly progressed, clinicians should understand the basic biology of HNSCC to choose an appropriate therapy in the upcoming era of personalized medicine. This review summarized recent developments in tumor biology, focusing on epidemiology, genetic/epigenetic factors, the tumor microenvironment, microbiota, immunity, and photoimmunotherapy in HNSCC, as well as how these findings can be translated into clinical settings.

Keywords: Cancer immunology; Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; Microbiome; Molecular biology; Oncogenesis; Photoimmunotherapy; Regulatory T cells.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / epidemiology
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / genetics
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / therapy
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / genetics
Head and Neck Neoplasms* / therapy
Humans
Papillomavirus Infections* / complications
Papillomavirus Infections* / therapy
Risk Factors
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / therapy
Translational Research, Biomedical
Tumor Microenvironment