Molecular and cellular biomarkers for field cancerization and multistep process in head and neck tumorigenesis

摘要: One way to explain the development of head and neck cancer is through theories field cancerization, i.e., exposure an entire tissue repeated carcinogenic insult, multistep process, multiple cancers in a predisposed series recognizable states. Recent molecular genetic studies histologically normal prealignant epithelia high-risk subjects malignant tumors aerodigestive tract have identified continuum accumulated specific alterations that possibly occur during clonal evolution tumors, namely, process. Second primary or arise same fields as independent clones, with similar but unique and/or cellular alterations. Consequently, assessment these phenotypic has been integrated into clinical chemoprevention trials effort identify biomarkers are also risk predictors intermediate end points. This review covers candidate processes cancerization tumor epithelia, including general markers, proliferation squamous differentiation markers.