Abstract

<h2>Prognostic Biomarkers in Head and Neck Cancer</h2> Jennifer R. Grandis Author's Affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Requests for reprints: Jennifer R. Grandis, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 200 Lothrop Street, Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Phone: 412-647-5280; Fax: 412-647-2080; E-mail: grandisjr@upmc.edu . Most of the cancers that arise in the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract, including the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx, are squamous cell carcinomas. To date, although there are no primary mutations that have been discovered to cause these cancers, aberrant expression of a variety of molecules characterizes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Most of the studies have compared expression levels in primary HNSCCs with levels in corresponding normal mucosa (generally harvested from the surgical resection margins). The advantage of such an approach is that both normal and tumor tissue are derived from the same patient and, hence, have been exposed to the same environmental risk factors (i.e., tobacco and alcohol exposure). In addition, because patients who are cured of their primary HNSCC have a lifelong risk of second primary tumor formation, genetic and epigenetic alterations that occur in the “condemned mucosa”