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Updated: Apr 11, 2026
A Model for Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: January 5, 2017
Mechanisms of Invasion in Head and Neck Cancer
Lizandra Jimenez, Sangeeta K Jayakar, Thomas J Ow
1From the Departments of Pathology (Mss Jimenez and Jayakar, and Drs Ow and Segall) and Anatomy and Structural Biology (Mss Jimenez and Jayakar, and Dr Segall), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
Context:
The highly invasive properties demonstrated by head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are often associated with locoregional recurrence and lymph node metastasis in patients and is a key factor leading to an expected 5-year survival rate of approximately 50% for patients with advanced disease. It is important to understand the features and mediators of HNSCC invasion so that new treatment approaches can be developed.
Objectives:
To provide an overview of the characteristics, mediators, and mechanisms of HNSCC invasion.
Data Sources:
A literature review of peer-reviewed articles in PubMed on HNSCC invasion.
Conclusions:
Histologic features of HNSCC tumors can help predict prognosis and influence clinical treatment decisions. Cell surface receptors, signaling pathways, proteases, invadopodia function, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, microRNAs, and tumor microenvironment are all involved in the regulation of the invasive behavior of HNSCC cells. Identifying effective HNSCC invasion inhibitors has the potential to improve outcomes for patients by reducing the rate of spread and increasing responsiveness to chemoradiation.
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