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Molecular Signaling in Oral Cancer Invasion and Metastasis

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Targeting Oral Cancer

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Abstract

Head and neck cancer is among the ten most common and lethal tumors worldwide. Over 90 % of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, which have a 40 % 5-year mortality and 25 % recurrence rate despite rigorous utilization of several therapeutic modalities. Treatment costs exceed $3.1 billion in America alone. Thus, improvement of conventional therapy is urgently needed to reduce mortality and morbidity of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). HNSCC represents a devastating type of malignancy with a high incidence of local invasion, cervical lymph node metastasis, tumor recurrence, and drug resistance leading to patient disfigurement and death. Understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with aberrant growth, invasion, and metastasis to identify an effective therapeutic target is one of the most demanding goals in head and neck cancer biology. The hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) and MET receptor signaling axis have been studied extensively over the past two decades, revealing their important role in mediating tumor growth, survival, chemoresistance, and invasive growth and metastasis. In this chapter, we will review HGF/SF-MET signaling in malignant HNSCC progression and discuss therapeutic options this signaling pathway may present for the treatment of HNSCC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Oral Biology & Medicine, UCLA School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Ave, 951668, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1668, USA

    Insoon Chang DDS, MS & Cun-Yu Wang DDS, PhD

  2. Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan Health System, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Aasia O. Rehman PhD

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  1. Insoon Chang DDS, MS
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  2. Aasia O. Rehman PhD
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  3. Cun-Yu Wang DDS, PhD
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Correspondence to Cun-Yu Wang DDS, PhD .

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  1. School of Medicine, Wayne State University, DETROIT, Michigan, USA

    Andrew M. Fribley

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Chang, I., Rehman, A.O., Wang, CY. (2016). Molecular Signaling in Oral Cancer Invasion and Metastasis. In: M. Fribley, A. (eds) Targeting Oral Cancer. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27647-2_5

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