MicroRNAs in laryngeal cancer: implications for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy

Laryngeal cancer is the most common head and neck cancer (skin excluded) with the increasing rates of morbidity and mortality in the world. The emerging roles of microRNAs (miRs) in laryngeal cancer have been deeply investigated in recent years. Deregulated miRs are frequently detected in tissues and cells of laryngeal cancer, which work as oncogenes or tumor supressors to regulate cancer cell proliferation, metastasis and invasion, etc. Here we reviewed the recognized roles of miRs in the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of laryngeal cancer. Although there are lots of challenges in miRs including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and safety, the growing improvements of miRs in laryngeal cancer remain encouraging and promising.