Abstract
Nearly two million cases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are diagnosed every year in the United States alone. cSCC is notable for both its prevalence and its propensity for invasion and metastasis. For many patients, surgery is curative. However, patients experiencing immunosuppression or recurrent, advanced, and metastatic disease still face limited therapeutic options and significant mortality. cSCC forms after decades of sun exposure and possesses the highest known mutation rate of all cancers. This mutational burden complicates efforts to identify the primary factors driving cSCC initiation and progression, which in turn hinders the development of targeted therapeutics. In this review, we summarize the mutations and alterations that have been observed in patients' cSCC tumors, affecting signaling pathways, transcriptional regulators, and the microenvironment. We also highlight novel therapeutic opportunities in development and clinical trials.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 89-119 |
Number of pages | 31 |
Journal | Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry |
Volume | 55 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2021 |
Funding
This work is supported by a NIH R01 (AR075015), an American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant (RSG-21-018-01), Searle Leadership Fund, the Northwestern Skin Disease Research Center Pilot & Feasibility Award, the Basic Insights Award from Northwestern Cancer Center, and a NUCATS pilot award to XB, as well as a NIH/NCI F31 (F31CA261114) Fellowship to SD. This work is supported by a N?H R 爃猀 (AR 爃礃眃爃猃眂ఁ an American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant (RSG-球猁爃猃稁爃猂ఁ Searle Leadership Fund, the Northwestern Skin Disease Research Center Pilot & Feasibility Award, the Basic ?nsights Award from Northwestern Cancer Center, and a NUCATS pilot award to XB, as well as a N?H/NC? F 甃猀 (F 甃猀CA 球砃猃猃猃瘂ఀ Fellowship to SD.
Keywords
- CSCC
- Epidermis
- Keratinocyte Carcinoma
- Skin Cancer
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine