Affiliation:
1. Frontiers Medical Center Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory Chengdu China
2. National Facility for Translational Medicine (Sichuan) West China Hospital of Sichuan University Chengdu China
3. National Center for Birth Defect Monitoring Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children Ministry of Education West China Second University Hospital Sichuan University Chengdu China
4. State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy West China Hospital of Sichuan University Chengdu China
Abstract
AbstractHead and neck cancer (HNC) is a highly aggressive type of tumor characterized by delayed diagnosis, recurrence, metastasis, relapse, and drug resistance. The occurrence of HNC were associated with smoking, alcohol abuse (or both), human papillomavirus infection, and complex genetic and epigenetic predisposition. Currently, surgery and radiotherapy are the standard treatments for most patients with early‐stage HNC. For recurrent or metastatic (R/M) HNC, the first‐line treatment is platinum‐based chemotherapy combined with the antiepidermal growth factor receptor drug cetuximab, when resurgery and radiation therapy are not an option. However, curing HNC remains challenging, especially in cases with metastasis. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis of HNC, including genetic and epigenetic changes, abnormal signaling pathways, and immune regulation mechanisms, along with all potential therapeutic strategies such as molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, epigenetic modifications, and combination therapies. Recent preclinical and clinical studies that may offer therapeutic strategies for future research on HNC are also discussed. Additionally, new targets and treatment methods, including antibody–drug conjugates, photodynamic therapy, radionuclide therapy, and mRNA vaccines, have shown promising results in clinical trials, offering new prospects for the treatment of HNC.