title: Profiling early head and neck cancer.
abstract: Head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and, disappointingly, survival rates are not improving. Moreover, HNSCC has a severe impact on the quality of life of patients and survivors, and the significant morbidity subsequent to treatment often mandates long-term multidisciplinary care, which places significant financial pressures on the treating institution. Therefore, prevention and early diagnosis of high-risk pre-malignant lesions are high priorities for reducing deaths due to head and neck cancer. Recent advances have begun to elucidate the different aetiologies of HNSCCs in relation to previous pre-malignancies and to identify which pre-malignant lesions are likely to progress to malignancy.
authors.affiliation: The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 1BD, Scotland.
authors.forename: Keith D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: E Ken
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018450:Disease Progression; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D011230:Precancerous Conditions; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism