Genomics Testing in Head and Neck Cancers: Is there a Benefit?

Ab s t r Ac t Introduction: Elucidation of the genomic basis of head and neck cancers (HNCs) may help in reducing cancer-related mortality and morbidity. This is because prognostication by predicting disease course and treatment response will help to individualize treatment protocols. Materials and methods: This prospective pilot study used a 48-gene mutation panel on tumor tissue samples obtained from 18 patients suffering from HNCs. The clinical significance of these mutations was analyzed in terms of treatment resistance, presence of distant metastasis, family history, and disease recurrence. Results: Two patients carried germline mutations, nine carried somatic mutations and seven samples had no mutation detected on the 48-gene panel. The genomic studies detected germline mutations in BRCA and AIP, and somatic mutations in TP53, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), RB1, STK11, GNA11, and HRAS. Conclusion: The study appears to validate early genomic testing of HNC cases to modify treatment protocols and offers more specific and personalized treatment options to patients. Clinical significance: The study demonstrates the potential benefit of integrating genomic data with clinical details to map out a tailored treatment plan to benefit individual patients.