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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

A Model for Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: January 5, 2017
[Mechanisms and implications of cancer cell dormancy in head and neck carcinoma]
Gao Xiaolei1, Liang Xinhua1, Tang Yaling2
1State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases & National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases & Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Abstract:
Disease metastasis and relapse in many cancer patients several years (even decades) after surgical remission have been recently acknowledged as cases of cancer dormancy. Although cases of minimal residual disease are well documented, knowledge on its biological mechanisms and clinical implications remains limited. To date, numerous reviews have summarized the three potential models that may explain this phenomenon, including the angiogenic, immunologic, and cellular dormancy. In this study, we discuss newly uncovered mechanisms governing tumor cell dormancy in head and neck cancer, emphasizing on the crosstalk between dormant tumor cells and their microenvironments. Additionally, we explore the mechanisms on the reactivation of dormant residual tumor cells in anatomical sites, including the lymph nodes and bone marrow.
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