Squamous cell carcinomas of the lung and of the head and neck: New insights on molecular characterization

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinomas of the lung and of the head and neck district share strong association with smoking habits and are characterized by smoke-related genetic alterations. Driver mutations have been identified in small percentage of lung squamous cell carcinoma. In parallel, squamous cell head and neck tumors are classified according to the HPV positivity, thus identifying two different clinical and molecular subgroups of disease. This review depicts different molecular portraits and potential clinical application in the field targeted therapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy personalization.