Head and neck cancers are the sixth most common group of cancers worldwide. An average of 800 new cancers of the head and neck are diagnosed in Finland each year, of which about 90% are squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). The prognosis for the HNSCC has remained regrettably low, despite tremendous advances in both surgery and oncology treatments. The aim of our study is to determine as accurately and patient-specifically as possible the causes that lead to the failure of HNSCC cancer treatments. In addition, our goal is to find biomarkers suitable for clinical use that 1) predict HNSCC tumour aggressiveness or 2) predict tumour chemosensitivity and / or radiotherapy response. The global need for such biomarkers is enormous, as there is a huge need to optimize the cancer care and treatment resources for HNSCC patients.

2023

2027