Liquid biopsy: An emerging prognostic and predictive tool in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC). Focus on Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs)

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is sixth most common malignancy worldwide, accounting for approximately 6% of all cases and is responsible for an estimated 1–2% of all cancer deaths [1]. HNSCC has been historically associated with tobacco and alcohol use; however, in the past decade, infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) and especially type 16 has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a subset of HNSCCs, mainly those arising from the oropharynx. HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer represents a distinct biological and clinical entity with a more favorable prognosis [2,3].

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