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REVIEW article

Front. Oncol.
Sec. Head and Neck Cancer
Volume 14 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1473706

Biomarkers in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Unraveling the Path to Precision Immunotherapy

Provisionally accepted
Kamal S. Saini Kamal S. Saini 1,2*Sasikala Somara Sasikala Somara 1Heidi C. Ko Heidi C. Ko 3Purva Thatai Purva Thatai 1Zachary D. Wallen Zachary D. Wallen 3Michelle F. Green Michelle F. Green 3Ravi Mehrotra Ravi Mehrotra 4Sandra McGuigan Sandra McGuigan 1Lingjuan Pang Lingjuan Pang 1Soma Das Soma Das 1Kavita Yadav Kavita Yadav 5Dobrica Neric Dobrica Neric 1Luca Cantini Luca Cantini 1Chinmayee Joshi Chinmayee Joshi 1Kazuya Iwamoto Kazuya Iwamoto 1Sudha Dubbewar Sudha Dubbewar 1Laura Vidal Laura Vidal 1Isagani Chico Isagani Chico 1Eric Severson Eric Severson 3Luigi Lorini Luigi Lorini 6Paolo Bossi Paolo Bossi 6,7
  • 1 Fortrea Inc., Durham, United States
  • 2 Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
  • 3 Labcorp Oncology, Durham, California, United States
  • 4 Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
  • 5 George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi, India
  • 6 Medical Oncology and Hematology Unit, Humanitas Cancer Center, Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Italy
  • 7 Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Recent strides in understanding the molecular underpinnings of head and neck cancers have sparked considerable interest in identifying precise biomarkers that can enhance prognostication and enable personalized treatment strategies. Immunotherapy has particularly revolutionized the therapeutic landscape for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, offering new avenues for treatment. This review comprehensively examines the application and limitations of the established and emerging/novel biomarkers for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Established biomarkers, including well-characterized genetic mutations, protein expressions, and clinical factors, have been extensively studied and validated in clinical practice. Novel biomarkers identified through molecular analyses, including novel genetic alterations, immune-related markers, and molecular signatures, are currently being investigated and validated in preclinical and clinical settings. Biomarkers hold the potential to deepen our understanding of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma biology and guide therapeutic strategies. The evolving paradigm of predictive biomarkers facilitates the study of individual responses to specific treatments, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy.Recently, assays for circulating tumor HPV DNA (ctHPV DNA) have emerged as promising tools for enhancing post-treatment surveillance. Chera et al., found that detecting ctHPV DNA in two consecutive plasma samples during post-treatment monitoring yielded both 100% positive

    Keywords: head anc neck cancer, predictive biomarker, prognostic biomarker, Diagnostic biomarker, squamous cell cancer

    Received: 31 Jul 2024; Accepted: 09 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Saini, Somara, Ko, Thatai, Wallen, Green, Mehrotra, McGuigan, Pang, Das, Yadav, Neric, Cantini, Joshi, Iwamoto, Dubbewar, Vidal, Chico, Severson, Lorini and Bossi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Kamal S. Saini, Fortrea Inc., Durham, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.