title: Telomeres and telomerase in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: from pathogenesis to clinical implications.
abstract: Strongly associated with tobacco use, heavy alcohol consumption, and with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a frequently lethal, heterogeneous disease whose pathogenesis is a multistep and multifactorial process involving genetic and epigenetic events. The majority of HNSCC patients present with locoregional advanced stage disease and are treated with combined modality strategies that can markedly impair quality of life and elicit unpredictable results. A large fraction of those who undergo locoregional treatment and achieve a complete response later develop locoregional recurrences or second field tumors. Biomarkers that are thus able to stratify risk and enable clinicians to tailor treatment plans and to personalize post-therapeutic surveillance strategies are highly desirable. To date, only HPV status is considered a reliable independent predictor of treatment response and survival in patients with HNSCC arising from the oropharyngeal site. Recent studies suggest that telomere attrition, which may be an early event in human carcinogenesis, and telomerase activation, which is detected in up to 90 % of malignancies, could be potential markers of cancer risk and disease outcome. This review examines the current state of knowledge on and discusses the implications linked to telomere dysfunction and telomerase activation in the development and clinical outcome of HNSCC.
authors: Section of Otolaryngology and Regional Centre for Head and Neck Cancer, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy.
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Boscolo-Rizzo
authors: Section of Otolaryngology and Regional Centre for Head and Neck Cancer, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy.
authors: Maria Cristina
authors: MC
authors: Da Mosto
authors: Section of Oncology and Immunology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, via Gattamelata 64, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors: Enrica
authors: E
authors: Rampazzo
authors: Section of Oncology and Immunology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, via Gattamelata 64, 35128, Padova, Italy.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Giunco
authors: Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto-IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
authors: Annarosa
authors: A
authors: Del Mistro
authors: Section of Otolaryngology and Regional Centre for Head and Neck Cancer, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Menegaldo
authors: Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto-IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
authors: Lorena
authors: L
authors: Baboci
authors: Section of Otolaryngology and Regional Centre for Head and Neck Cancer, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Treviso, Italy.
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Mantovani
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors: Giancarlo
authors: G
authors: Tirelli
authors: Section of Oncology and Immunology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padova, via Gattamelata 64, 35128, Padova, Italy. anita.derossi@unipd.it.|Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto-IRCCS, Padova, Italy. anita.derossi@unipd.it.
authors: Anita
authors: A
authors: De Rossi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D014644:Genetic Variation; D042822:Genomic Instability; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D011379:Prognosis; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019098:Telomerase
keywords: Field cancerization; Head and neck cancer; Human papillomavirus; Molecular biology; Recurrence; Survival; TERT; Telomerase reverse transcriptase; Telomere