Prognostic Markers and Driver Genes and Options for Targeted Therapy in Human-Papillomavirus-Positive Tonsillar and Base-of-Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma |
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Authors: | Anders Nä sman,Stefan Holzhauser,Ourania N. Kostopoulou,Mark Zupancic,Andreas Ä hrlund-Richter,Juan Du,Tina Dalianis |
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Affiliation: | 1.Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Bioclinicum J6:20, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 64 Stockholm, Sweden; (A.N.); (S.H.); (O.N.K.); (M.Z.); (A.Ä.-R.);2.Department of Microbiology, Tumor Biology and Cellular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; |
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Abstract: | The incidence of Human-papillomavirus-positive (HPV+) tonsillar and base-of-tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC and BOTSCC, respectively) is increasing epidemically, but they have better prognosis than equivalent HPV-negative (HPV−) cancers, with roughly 80% vs. 50% 3-year disease-free survival, respectively. The majority of HPV+ TSCC and BOTSCC patients therefore most likely do not require the intensified chemoradiotherapy given today to head and neck cancer patients and would with de-escalated therapy avoid several severe side effects. Moreover, for those with poor prognosis, survival has not improved, so better-tailored alternatives are urgently needed. In line with refined personalized medicine, recent studies have focused on identifying predictive markers and driver cancer genes useful for better stratifying patient treatment as well as for targeted therapy. This review presents some of these endeavors and briefly describes some recent experimental progress and some clinical trials with targeted therapy. |
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Keywords: | human papillomavirus tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma base-of-tongue squamous cell carcinoma oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma mutations prognostic marker driver genes targeted therapy |
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