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🗺️ Disease Atlas · Cancer or benign tumor

head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

A squamous cell carcinoma that arises from any of the following anatomic sites: lip and oral cavity, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx, larynx, and salivary glands.

🔔 Follow weekly
🧬9708genes / proteins with evidence
💊424drugs and clinical candidates
🧪12+recruiting trials worldwide
✅4approved
📈57phase 3
🧬

Understand head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Cancer · Cells that grow out of control
🎓 Learn more

What it is

Head and neck cancer is the name for cancers that develop in the mouth, nose and sinuses, salivary glands, and throat and voice box (larynx). Most head and neck cancers are squamous cell cancers. They begin in the moist tissues that line the head and neck. The cancer cells may spread into deeper tissue as the cancer grows.

There are other cancers that develop in the head and neck, such as brain cancer, eye cancer, and esophageal cancer. But they are usually not considered to be head and neck cancers, because those types of cancer and their treatments are different.

Who is more likely to develop head and neck cancer?

From MedlinePlus: Head and Neck Cancer (US National Library of Medicine) ↗

🧬 Cancer: Cancer is a group of diseases in which some of the body's cells grow and divide without control, and can spread to other parts of the body.

❓ Why it happens

  • Changes (mutations) build up in the genes that tell a cell when to grow, divide and die.
  • Most of these changes happen during life: tobacco, too much sun, alcohol, some infections (such as HPV and hepatitis B and C), radiation, obesity and ageing all raise the risk.
  • Some people inherit a faulty gene that raises their risk, such as BRCA1 or BRCA2.

🫀 What it does to the body

  • Cancer cells form a lump (tumour) that can press on or invade nearby organs.
  • They can travel through the blood or lymph to start new tumours elsewhere (metastasis).
  • Blood cancers crowd out healthy blood cells in the bone marrow.

🧱 Why it is hard to cure

  • Every cancer is different, even between two people with the same type - and inside one tumour.
  • Cancer cells keep changing, so they can learn to resist a medicine that worked at first.
  • Cancer cells are the body's own cells, so killing them without harming healthy cells is hard.
  • Many cancers cause no symptoms until they have spread, and a new medicine often takes more than ten years to go from the lab to patients.

🚀 What research is trying now

  • Targeted medicines against the exact gene change in a tumour (for example EGFR, ALK or KRAS).
  • Immunotherapy that helps the immune system recognise cancer, including CAR-T cell therapy.
  • Personalised cancer vaccines built from each tumour's mutations, now in late trials.
  • Blood tests that look for tumour DNA to find cancer earlier, and AI to read scans and slides.

General information about cancer, reviewed by people; it does not describe any one person. Below: the evidence for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma itself.

🤖

AI briefing

Where the science on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma stands, from the evidence on this page

AI reads the targets, drugs, trials and papers below and writes where the science stands — every claim cited. It is shared with everyone who opens head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

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🎯

Top targets

Genes and proteins ranked by Open Targets evidence (0-1)
TP53 tumor protein p53PROTACothersmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.81
EGFR epidermal growth factor receptorPROTACantibodyothersmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.74
PTEN phosphatase and tensin homologPROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.72
FAT1 FAT atypical cadherin 1PROTACantibody🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.71
CDKN2A cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 2A🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.70
NOTCH1 notch receptor 1PROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.69
KMT2D lysine methyltransferase 2DPROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.67
CASP8 caspase 8PROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.66
PIK3CA phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alphaPROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.66
HRAS HRas proto-oncogene, GTPasePROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.66
EP300 EP300 lysine acetyltransferasePROTACsmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.63
NFE2L2 NFE2 like bZIP transcription factor 2PROTACantibodysmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.62
MET MET proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinasePROTACantibodyothersmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.62
ING1 inhibitor of growth family member 1PROTAC🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.59
PDCD1 programmed cell death 1PROTACantibodyothersmall molecule🧊 AlphaFold structure ↗ 0.59

Green labels: what the target is known to be druggable by. The score combines genetics, somatic mutations, drugs, expression and literature.

💊

Drugs and candidates

Every medicine linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, by how far it has got
Approved · 4
CosibelimabProgrammed cell death 1 ligand 1 inhibitorApproved
GefitinibEpidermal growth factor receptor erbB1 inhibitorApproved
NivolumabProgrammed cell death protein 1 inhibitorApproved
PembrolizumabProgrammed cell death protein 1 inhibitorApproved
In phase 2 / 3 · 20
AfatinibEpidermal growth factor receptor erbB1 inhibitor; Receptor protein-tyrosine kinase erbB-2…Phase 3
AmivantamabEpidermal growth factor receptor erbB1 inhibitor; Hepatocyte growth factor receptor inhib…Phase 3
AvelumabProgrammed cell death 1 ligand 1 otherPhase 3
Becotatug VedotinPhase 3
BemcentinibTyrosine-protein kinase receptor UFO inhibitorPhase 3
BenmelstobartPhase 3
Show all 20
BevacizumabVascular endothelial growth factor A inhibitorPhase 3
BuparlisibPI3-kinase class I inhibitorPhase 3
CamrelizumabProgrammed cell death protein 1 antagonistPhase 3
CapecitabineThymidylate synthase inhibitorPhase 3
CarboplatinPhase 3
CetuximabEpidermal growth factor receptor erbB1 inhibitorPhase 3
Cetuximab SarotalocanEpidermal growth factor receptor erbB1 binding agentPhase 3
CisplatinPhase 3
DocetaxelTubulin inhibitorPhase 3
DostarlimabProgrammed cell death protein 1 antagonistPhase 3
DurvalumabProgrammed cell death 1 ligand 1 inhibitorPhase 3
DusquetidePhase 3
EndostatinPhase 3
EpacadostatIndoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase inhibitorPhase 3
Early trials · 20
Abipapogene SuvaplasmidPhase 1/2
AlisertibSerine/threonine-protein kinase Aurora-A inhibitorPhase 1/2
AllantoinPhase 1/2
AmifostinePhase 1/2
BalstilimabProgrammed cell death protein 1 antagonistPhase 1/2
BirinapantcIAP1/cIAP2 inhibitorPhase 1/2
Show all 20
Bizalimogene RalaplasmidPhase 1/2
Bms-777607Hepatocyte growth factor receptor inhibitorPhase 1/2
C-188-9Phase 1/2
CilengitideIntegrin alpha-V/beta-3 antagonist; Integrin alpha-V/beta-5 antagonistPhase 1/2
CintirorgonPhase 1/2
Com-701Phase 1/2
CopanlisibPI3-kinase p110-alpha subunit inhibitor; PI3-kinase p110-delta subunit inhibitorPhase 1/2
DazostinagPhase 1/2
DigoxinSodium/potassium-transporting ATPase inhibitorPhase 1/2
EclutatugPhase 1/2
ElgemtumabReceptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-3 inhibitorPhase 1/2
EnzalutamideAndrogen Receptor antagonistPhase 1/2
EtigilimabT-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains inhibitorPhase 1/2
EvofosfamidePhase 1/2
🧪

Recruiting trials

Worldwide, open to new patients now
Impact of Patient-Reported Outcomes for Symptom Monitoring in Patients Followed for Head and Neck Squamous Ce…NCT07190755 · NA · 📍 RouencDNA and Residual Disease After Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomasNCT07178847 · NA · 📍 AurillacComparing Postoperative Adjuvant Cisplatin Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy With Adjuvant Radiotherapy Alone for …NCT07125755 · Phase 3 · 📍 GuangzhouAdebrelimab ±Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Unresectable Locally Advance…NCT06510660 · Phase 2 · 📍 Fuzhou3-5 FrAction Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Palliation of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: the…NCT05674396 · Phase 2 · 📍 HoustonA Study of PF-08046054/SGN-PDL1V in Advanced Solid TumorsNCT05208762 · Phase 1 · 📍 BirminghamApplication of MRI Radiomics Features in Neoadjuvant Therapy of Head and Neck Squamous Cell CarcinomaNCT06755567 · n/a · 📍 GuangzhouRegistry Platform Gastric/Esophageal Cancer (SAPHIR)NCT04290806 · n/a · 📍 Multiple LocationsVoiceS: Voice Quality After Transoral CO2-Laser Surgery Versus Single Vocal Cord Irradiation for Larynx CancerNCT04057209 · NA · 📍 ParisAnti-Ly6E Exatecan ADC M7437 in Advanced Solid TumorsNCT07360314 · Phase 1 · 📍 New HavenA Trial of the Combination of Afatinib and Palbociclib in Previously Treated Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cel…NCT06753747 · Phase 1, Phase 2 · 📍 ChengduNeoadjuvant Adebrelimab Plus Chemotherapy for Esophageal Cancer: A Clinical StudyNCT07437898 · Phase 2 · 📍 Putian Search more trials →
📚

Newest research

Latest papers on PubMed
Challenging diagnostic cases of peripheral ameloblastoma: a case series.J Med Case Rep 2026 · PMID 42928355Bridging the gap: advanced chromatin biotechnologies for circadian epigenomic profiling in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.Clin Epigenetics 2026 · PMID 42928351RACIAL DISPARITIES IN HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA: CANCER STEM CELL PATHWAYS AS DRIVERS OF OUTCOME DIFFERENCES.Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc 2026 · PMID 42927335Sentinel lymph node-guided modification of postoperative radiotherapy in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective dos…Clin Transl Radiat Oncol 2027 · PMID 42927216Real-world surgical outcomes and prognostic factors in stage III-IVA laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a multicenter, retrospect…Int J Clin Oncol 2026 · PMID 42926249Symptom-based vs radiological follow-up in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review.Tumori 2026 · PMID 42924864Markers of Biological Aging and Survival in Recurrent and Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Immunotherapy.Epigenomes 2026 · PMID 42924727A scientometric study on research trends and characteristics of lymph node metastasis in oral cancer.J Dent Sci 2026 · PMID 42924131 Ask a research question in the Hypothesis Lab →
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