Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 15, 2025

Therapy Testing in a Spheroid-based 3D Cell Culture Model for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
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Therapy Testing in a Spheroid-based 3D Cell Culture Model for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Published on: April 20, 2018

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Worldwide prevalence of PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway mutations in head and neck cancer: A systematic review and

Adriana Castelo de Moura1, Daniele Xavier Assad2, Juliana Amorim Dos Santos3

  • 1Laboratory of Oral Histopathology, Health Sciences Faculty, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil; Hospital Universitário de Brasília (HUB-UnB/Ebserh), Brasília, DF, Brazil; Hospital Santa Lúcia, Brasília, DF, Brazil.

Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
|March 6, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Mutations in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway are prevalent in head and neck cancer (HNC). PIK3CA mutations were most common, and pathway alterations correlated with advanced TNM stage and HPV-positive oropharyngeal tumors.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • The PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway is crucial in cell growth and survival.
  • Dysregulation of this pathway is implicated in various cancers, including head and neck cancer (HNC).
  • Understanding mutation prevalence and clinical correlations is vital for targeted therapies in HNC.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze the prevalence of mutations in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway in HNC patients.
  • To investigate associations between these mutations and clinical risk factors or tumor characteristics.
  • To explore the potential prognostic and therapeutic implications of these mutations in HNC.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis of 105 studies involving 8630 HNC patients.
  • Data extraction on PIK3CA, PTEN, MTOR, and AKT mutations.
  • Subgroup analyses based on HPV infection, tobacco/alcohol use, TNM stage, and tumor differentiation.

Main Results:

  • Overall mutation prevalence: PIK3CA (13%), PTEN (4%), MTOR (3%), AKT (2%).
  • Significant associations found between PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway mutations and advanced TNM stage (OR=0.20) and HPV-positive oropharyngeal tumors (PIK3CA, OR=17.48).
  • No associations were observed with alcohol/tobacco exposure or tumor differentiation grade.

Conclusions:

  • The PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway is frequently altered in HNC.
  • Pathway mutations are associated with specific clinical and molecular features, suggesting prognostic value.
  • These findings provide a molecular basis for future therapeutic targeting strategies in HNC.
Keywords:
Head and neck cancerMeta-analysisMutationPI3K-AKT-mTOR pathwaySystematic review

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