title: Emerging insights into head and neck cancer metastasis.
abstract: The purpose of this review was to provide biological concepts of head and neck cancer metastasis. To attain this goal, we analyzed peer-reviewed articles related to head and neck cancer metastasis obtained though PubMed and archived articles. Articles related to the biologic principles of head and neck cancer metastasis were reviewed and summarized. As locoregional control has improved for patients with head and neck cancer, rates of distant metastasis have not decreased. As patients live longer, many will die of complications related to the development of disease at sites below the clavicles. Emerging evidence now suggests a more complicated framework of metastatic behavior for head and neck cancer. Here, we review the role of regional lymph nodes in containing advanced head and neck cancer, evidence for active as opposed to passive tumor cell metastasis, and clinical implications these concepts have on both treatment of head and neck cancer and future research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Clint T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Gavin P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Ravindra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uppaluri
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary* / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: antitumor immunity; cancer stem cell; epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; head and neck cancer; metastasis