Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology

DOI: doi:10.1038/nrclinonc.2014.192

Published online 18 November 2014

Emerging biomarkers in head and neck cancer in the era of genomics

 Hyunseok Kang, Ana Kiess, & Christine H. Chung

Head and neck cancer (HNC) broadly includes carcinomas arising from the
mucosal epithelia of the head and neck region as well as various cell types of
salivary glands and the thyroid. As reflected by the multiple sites and
histologies of HNC, the molecular characteristics and clinical outcomes of this
disease vary widely. In this Review, we focus on established and emerging
biomarkers that are most relevant to nasopharyngeal carcinoma and head and neck
squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which includes primary sites in the oral
cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx and larynx. Applications and limitations of
currently established biomarkers are discussed along with examples of successful
biomarker development. For emerging biomarkers, preclinical or retrospective
data are also described in the context of recently completed comprehensive
molecular analyses of HNSCC, which provide a broad genetic landscape and
molecular classification beyond histology and clinical characteristics. We will
highlight the ongoing effort that will see a shift from prognostic to predictive
biomarker development in HNC with the goal of delivering individualized cancer
therapy.

Figure 1:
Molecular pathogenesis of EBV-related NPC.