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Copyright ©The Author(s) 2016. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Methodol. Mar 26, 2016; 6(1): 77-86
Published online Mar 26, 2016. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v6.i1.77
Updated overview of current biomarkers in head and neck carcinoma
Kiran Dahiya, Rakesh Dhankhar
Kiran Dahiya, Department of Biochemistry, Pt. B.D.Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India
Rakesh Dhankhar, Department of Radiotherapy, Pt. B.D.Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India
Author contributions: Dahiya K and Dhankhar R contributed to this article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Dr. Kiran Dahiya, Department of Biochemistry, Pt. B.D.Sharma PGIMS, 778/28, Bharat Colony, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India. kirandahiya_2002@yahoo.com
Telephone: +91-98-96111985
Received: September 9, 2015
Peer-review started: September 9, 2015
First decision: November 7, 2015
Revised: January 20, 2016
Accepted: March 7, 2016
Article in press: March 9, 2016
Published online: March 26, 2016
Processing time: 191 Days and 11.7 Hours
Abstract

Squamous cell cancer is the most common type of malignancy arising from the epithelial cells of the head and neck region. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the predominant causes of cancer related casualties worldwide. Overall prognosis in this disease has improved to some extent with the advancements in therapeutic modalities but detection of primary tumor at its initial stage and prevention of relapse are the major targets to be achieved for further improvement in terms of survival rate of patients. Latest achievements in basic research regarding molecular characterization of the disease has helped in better perception of the molecular mechanisms involved in HNSCC progression and also in recognizing and targeting various molecular biomarkers associated with HNSCC. In the present article, we review the information regarding latest and potential biomarkers for the early detection of HNSCC. A detailed molecular characterization, ultimately, is likely to improve the development of new therapeutic strategies, potentially relevant to diagnosis and prognosis of head and neck cancers. The need for more accurate and timely disease prediction has generated enormous research interests in this field.

Keywords: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; Early detection; Prognosis; Biomarkers; Molecular level

Core tip: Early detection of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is vital in improving the overall survival and prognosis. It can be achieved by use of latest biomarkers. With advancement in knowledge of molecular characteristics of this disease, various biomarkers acting at molecular level have been identified. This review compiles information regarding the potential players in this field.