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Review
. 2023 Mar 30;15(7):2051.
doi: 10.3390/cancers15072051.

Circulating Tumor DNA in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Anna Brandt  1 , Benjamin Thiele  2 , Christoph Schultheiß  3 , Eveline Daetwyler  4 , Mascha Binder  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Circulating Tumor DNA in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Anna Brandt et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Tumors shed cell-free DNA (cfDNA) into the plasma. "Liquid biopsies" are a diagnostic test to analyze cfDNA in order to detect minimal residual cancer, profile the genomic tumor landscape, and monitor cancers non-invasively over time. This technique may be useful in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) due to genetic tumor heterogeneity and limitations in imaging sensitivity. However, there are technical challenges that need to be overcome for the widespread use of liquid biopsy in the clinical management of these patients. In this review, we discuss our current understanding of HNSCC genetics and the role of cfDNA genomic analyses as an emerging precision diagnostic tool.

Keywords: cell-free DNA (cfDNA); head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC); liquid biopsy; monitoring; prognostication; resistance.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.B. Consulting and Honoraria: BMS, Amgen, Gilead, Sanofi Aventis. Contracted Research: Novartis, Servier, Hexal Biosimilars, BMS, Merck, Janssen. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Risk factors, anatomical sites and recurrent mutations in HNSCC. HNSCC is generally subgrouped in HPV+ and HPV- subsets. Common (but not entirely exclusive) genomic alterations per subtype are indicated.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Liquid biopsy monitoring of cfDNA in HNSCC. In HNSCC, cfDNA is sampled from saliva or blood to diagnose, monitor and guide treatment decisions. Examples of technical approaches to quantify cfDNA in patient samples are indicated including thresholds of sensitivity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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