Relationship Between p53， EGFR and Radiotherapy Resistance of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ABSTRACT

Head and neck cancers are the seventh most common type of cancer in the world， among which more than 90% are squamous cell carcinomas（HNSCC）. Radiotherapy is one of the important treatments for HNSCC， and the sensitivity of tumor cells to the therapy is a key factor influencing the efficacy of treatment. p53 is one of the most common mutated genes in HNSCC， and epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR） is overexpressed in many HNSCC. Both of these genes could enhance cellular DNA repair， which may be related to the radiotherapy resistance of HNSCC. This review focuses on the mechanisms by which tumor cells escape radiation-mediated apoptosis through p53 and EGFR-mediated DNA repair.