Copy number alterations identify a smoking-associated expression signature predictive of poor outcome in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), partially due to tobacco-induced large-scale chromosomal copy-number alterations (CNAs). Identifying CNAs caused by smoking is essential in determining how gene expression from such regions impact tumor progression and patient outcome. We utilized The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) whole genome sequencing data for HNSCC to directly identify amplified or deleted genes correlating with smoking pack-year based on linear modeling.

Disparate survival of late-stage male oropharyngeal cancer in Appalachia.

The United States Appalachian region harbors a higher cancer burden than the rest of the nation, with disparate incidence of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), including oral cavity and pharynx (OC/P) cancers. Whether elevated HNSCC incidence generates survival disparities within Appalachia is unknown. To address this, HNSCC survival data for 259,737 tumors from the North American Association for Central Cancer Registries 2007-2013 cohort were evaluated, with age-adjusted relative survival (RS) calculated based on staging, race, sex, and Appalachian residence.