[Oncogenes and their significance for head and neck cancers]

During the past few decades medical science has accepted the concept that cancer is a fundamental disorder of cellular growth control. A disorder can originate in some cells through changes in genes (DNA level: gene amplification, mutation and rearrangement) or their expression (RNA and protein levels), and stimulates growth in contrast to surrounding cells. Over the last decade genes affected in the cancer cell have been identified as well as the nature of changes undergone. Only a few of the known oncogenes play a role in head and neck cancer. These are epidermal growth factor receptor, c-myc, the ras gene family, int-2, hst-1 and bcl-1. In some clinical disorders, such as childhood neuroblastoma and breast cancer, oncogenes have been shown to play an important role in tumor staging or as a prognostic parameter. The aim for future therapy is the effective application of oncogenes (or "gene therapy") in clinical practice.