头颈癌（HNC）是一种高度侵袭性的肿瘤，其特点是延迟诊断、复发、转移、复发和耐药。 HNC 的发生与吸烟、酗酒（或两者兼而有之）、人乳头瘤病毒感染以及复杂的遗传和表观遗传倾向有关。目前，手术和放疗是大多数早期 HNC 患者的标准治疗方法。对于复发性或转移性 (R/M) HNC，当不能选择手术和放射治疗时，一线治疗是铂类化疗联合抗表皮生长因子受体药物西妥昔单抗。然而，治愈 HNC 仍然具有挑战性，尤其是在发生转移的情况下。在这篇综述中，我们总结了 HNC 的发病机制，包括遗传和表观遗传变化、异常信号通路和免疫调节机制，以及所有潜在的治疗策略，如分子靶向治疗、免疫治疗、基因治疗、表观遗传修饰和联合治疗。还讨论了最近的临床前和临床研究，这些研究可能为 HNC 的未来研究提供治疗策略。此外，新的靶点和治疗方法，包括抗体药物偶联物、光动力疗法、放射性核素疗法和mRNA疫苗，在临床试验中显示出良好的结果，为HNC的治疗提供了新的前景。©2024作者。四川国际医学交流中心出版的MedComm

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a highly aggressive type of tumor characterized by delayed diagnosis, recurrence, metastasis, relapse, and drug resistance. The occurrence of HNC were associated with smoking, alcohol abuse (or both), human papillomavirus infection, and complex genetic and epigenetic predisposition. Currently, surgery and radiotherapy are the standard treatments for most patients with early-stage HNC. For recurrent or metastatic (R/M) HNC, the first-line treatment is platinum-based chemotherapy combined with the antiepidermal growth factor receptor drug cetuximab, when resurgery and radiation therapy are not an option. However, curing HNC remains challenging, especially in cases with metastasis. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis of HNC, including genetic and epigenetic changes, abnormal signaling pathways, and immune regulation mechanisms, along with all potential therapeutic strategies such as molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, epigenetic modifications, and combination therapies. Recent preclinical and clinical studies that may offer therapeutic strategies for future research on HNC are also discussed. Additionally, new targets and treatment methods, including antibody-drug conjugates, photodynamic therapy, radionuclide therapy, and mRNA vaccines, have shown promising results in clinical trials, offering new prospects for the treatment of HNC.© 2024 The Author(s). MedComm published by Sichuan International Medical Exchange & Promotion Association (SCIMEA) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.