title: Clinical significance of head and neck squamous cell cancer biomarkers.
abstract: Head and neck tumors belong among the six leading causes of cancer death worldwide. The predominant type of head and neck tumors consists of squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). Early detection of primary tumor and relapse is a key factor for enhancing the survival rate of HNSCC patients, because high rates of cases are recognized at advanced stages. Accordingly, biomarkers suitable for the early detection of HNSCC are sorely needed to improve patient outcomes. HNSCC evolve through a multistep process by the accumulation of genetic and phenotypic changes. Searching for specific biomarkers capable of characterizing each degree is therefore really essential. In this review, genomic and gene expression alterations of HNSCC are summarized and associated with HPV status, clinicopathological conditions, and patient history from the perspective of potential biomarker utilization. The emphasis is placed on non-invasive markers detectable from saliva and blood and clinically relevant studies are mentioned in particular. These include analyses of tumorous tissues, saliva, and blood from patients with histologically defined tumors; cell culture- and other in vitro-based studies with no clinical correlations are rather excluded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Polanska
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raudenska
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jaromir
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gumulec
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Marketa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sztalmachova
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vojtech
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kizek
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Technicka 3058/10, CZ-616 00 Brno, Czech Republic. Electronic address: masarik@med.muni.cz.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masarik
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods*; D015870:Gene Expression; D023281:Genomics; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Cancer; Head and neck cancer; Papillomavirus; Prognosis; Saliva; Tumor markers; miRNA