Heads up! Predictive gene signatures in head and neck cancer may be coming soon

Abstract

Cetuximab-platinum chemotherapy is used for recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); however, a minority of patients benefit. Gene expression profiling (GEP) of HNSCCs with prolonged responses to cetuximab-chemotherapy demonstrate basal subtype traits including signatures of EGFR signaling and hypoxic differentiation. GEP of short-response patients show RAS activation.