2025emaApproval — Serplulimab· Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) Hetronifly in combination with carboplatin and etoposide is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adult patients with extensive‑stage small cell lung cancer (ES‑SCLC). Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) Hetronifly in combination with carboplatin and pemetrexed is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult non-squamous NSCLC patients with no EGFR, ALK or ROS1 positive mutations and who have: locally advanced NSCLC who are not candidates for surgery or radiotherapy, or metastatic NSCLC. Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) Hetronifly in combination with fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-based chemotherapy is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma whose tumours express PD-L1 with a CPS ≥ 5. source ↗

2024emaApproval — Toripalimab· Loqtorzi, in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with recurrent, not amenable to surgery or radiotherapy, or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Loqtorzi, in combination with cisplatin and paclitaxel, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, recurrent, or metastatic oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. source ↗

2024emaApproval — Retifanlimab· Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCAC) Zynyz is indicated in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic or with inoperable locally recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCAC). Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC)  Zynyz is indicated as monotherapy for the first line treatment of adult patients with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) not amenable to curative surgery or radiation therapy. source ↗

2023emaApproval — Tislelizumab· Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) Tevimbra, in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with resectable NSCLC at high risk of recurrence (for selection criteria, see section 5.1).Tevimbra in combination with pemetrexed and platinum containing chemotherapy is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with non-squamous NSCLC  whose tumours have PD-L1 expression on ≥50% of tumour cells with no EGFR or ALK positive mutations and who have: locally advanced NSCLC and are not candidates for surgical resection or platinum-based chemoradiation, or metastatic NSCLC. Tevimbra in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or nab-paclitaxel is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with squamous NSCLC who have: locally advanced NSCLC and are not candidates for surgical resection or platinum-based chemoradiation, or metastatic NSCLC. Tevimbra as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after prior platinum-based therapy. Patients with EGFR mutant or ALK positive NSCLC should also have received targeted therapies before receiving tislelizumab. Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)Tevimbra, in combination with etoposide and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage SCLC. Gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinomaTevimbra, in combination with platinum and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with HER-2-negative locally advanced unresectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma whose tumours express PD L1 with a tumour area positivity (TAP) score ≥ 5% (see section 5.1).Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)Tevimbra, in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic OSCC whose tumours express PD L1 with a TAP score ≥ 5% (see section 5.1).Tevimbra as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic OSCC after prior platinum-based chemotherapy. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC)Tevimbra, in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with recurrent, not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy, or metastatic NPC. source ↗

2019emaApproval — Cemiplimab· Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Libtayo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (mCSCC or laCSCC) who are not candidates for curative surgery or curative radiation. Libtayo as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with CSCC at high risk of recurrence after surgery and radiation (see section 5.1 for selection criteria).  Basal Cell Carcinoma Libtayo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma (laBCC or mBCC) who have progressed on or are intolerant to a hedgehog pathway inhibitor (HHI). Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Libtayo as monotherapy is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) expressing PD-L1 (in ? 50% tumour cells), with no EGFR, ALK or ROS1 aberrations, who have: locally advanced NSCLC who are not candidates for definitive chemoradiation, or metastatic NSCLC. Libtayo in combination with platinum?based chemotherapy is indicated for the first?line treatment of adult patients with NSCLC expressing PD-L1 (in ? 1% of tumour cells), with no EGFR, ALK or ROS1 aberrations, who have: locally advanced NSCLC who are not candidates for definitive chemoradiation, or metastatic NSCLC. Cervical Cancer Libtayo as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer and disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. source ↗

2017emaApproval — Atezolizumab· Urothelial carcinoma Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC): after prior platinum containing chemotherapy, or who are considered cisplatin ineligible, and whose tumours have a PD-L1 expression ≥ 5% (see section 5.1). Early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated as adjuvant treatment following complete resection and platinum-based chemotherapy for adult patients with NSCLC with a high risk of recurrence whose tumours have PD-L1 expression on ≥ 50% of tumour cells (TC) and who do not have EGFR mutant or ALK positive NSCLC (see section 5.1 for selection criteria). Advanced NSCLC  Tecentriq, in combination with bevacizumab, paclitaxel and carboplatin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-squamous non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In patients with EGFR mutant or ALK-positive NSCLC, Tecentriq, in combination with bevacizumab, paclitaxel and carboplatin, is indicated only after failure of appropriate targeted therapies (see section 5.1).Tecentriq, in combination with nab paclitaxel and carboplatin, is indicated for the first line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who do not have EGFR mutant or ALK positive NSCLC (see section 5.1).Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumours have a PD-L1 expression ≥ 50% tumour cells (TC) or ≥ 10% tumour-infiltrating immune cells (IC) and who do not have EGFR mutant or ALK-positive NSCLC (see section 5.1).Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced NSCLC who are ineligible for platinum-based therapy (see section 5.1 for selection criteria).Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after prior chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR mutant or ALK positive NSCLC should also have received targeted therapies before receiving Tecentriq (see section 5.1).Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)Tecentriq, in combination with carboplatin and etoposide, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) (see section 5.1). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)Tecentriq in combination with nab-paclitaxel is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic TNBC whose tumours have PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% and who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease.Hepatocellular carcinomaTecentriq, in combination with bevacizumab, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have not received prior systemic therapy (see section 5.1). Urothelial carcinoma (UC) Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic UC: after prior platinum containing chemotherapy, or who are considered cisplatin ineligible, and whose tumours have a PD-L1 expression ≥ 5% (see section 5.1). Early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated as adjuvant treatment following complete resection and platinum-based chemotherapy for adult patients with NSCLC with a high risk of recurrence whose tumours have PD-L1 expression on ≥ 50% of tumour cells (TC) and who do not have EGFR mutant or ALK positive NSCLC (see section 5.1 for selection criteria). Advanced NSCLC  Tecentriq, in combination with bevacizumab, paclitaxel and carboplatin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-squamous NSCLC. In patients with EGFR mutant or ALK-positive NSCLC, Tecentriq, in combination with bevacizumab, paclitaxel and carboplatin, is indicated only after failure of appropriate targeted therapies (see section 5.1).Tecentriq, in combination with nab paclitaxel and carboplatin, is indicated for the first line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who do not have EGFR mutant or ALK positive NSCLC (see section 5.1).Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic NSCLC whose tumours have a PD-L1 expression ≥ 50% TC or ≥ 10% tumour-infiltrating immune cells (IC) and who do not have EGFR mutant or ALK-positive NSCLC (see section 5.1).Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced NSCLC who are ineligible for platinum-based therapy (see section 5.1 for selection criteria).Tecentriq as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after prior chemotherapy. Patients with EGFR mutant or ALK positive NSCLC should also have received targeted therapies before receiving Tecentriq (see section 5.1).Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) Tecentriq, in combination with carboplatin and etoposide, is indicated for the first-line treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) (see section 5.1). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)Tecentriq in combination with nab-paclitaxel is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic TNBC whose tumours have PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% and who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease.Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)Tecentriq, in combination with bevacizumab, is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or unresectable HCC who have not received prior systemic therapy (see section 5.1). source ↗

2015emaApproval — Pembrolizumab· Melanoma Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with advanced (unresectable or metastatic) melanoma. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older with Stage IIB, IIC, or with Stage III melanoma and lymph node involvement who have undergone complete resection. Non small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) Keytruda, in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of resectable non small cell lung carcinoma at high risk of recurrence in adults Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults with non-small cell lung carcinoma who are at high risk of recurrence following complete resection and platinum based chemotherapy (for selection criteria, see section 5.1). Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ≥ 50% tumour proportion score (TPS) with no EGFR or ALK positive tumour mutations. Keytruda, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of metastatic non squamous non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours have no EGFR or ALK positive mutations. Keytruda, in combination with carboplatin and either paclitaxel or nab paclitaxel, is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic squamous non small cell lung carcinoma in adults. Keytruda  as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non small cell lung carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ≥ 1% TPS and who have received at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. Patients with EGFR or ALK positive tumour mutations should also have received targeted therapy before receiving KEYTRUDA. Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) Keytruda, in combination with pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy, is indicated for the first‑line treatment of adults with unresectable non-epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma. Classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of adult and paediatric patients aged 3 years and older with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma who have failed autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT is not a treatment option. Urothelial carcinoma Keytruda, in combination with enfortumab vedotin, as neoadjuvant treatment and then continued after radical cystectomy as adjuvant treatment, is indicated for the treatment of adults with resectable muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are ineligible for cisplatin‑containing chemotherapy. Keytruda, in combination with enfortumab vedotin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults who have received prior platinum containing chemotherapy.Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in adults who are not eligible for cisplatin containing chemotherapy and whose tumours express PD L1 with a combined positive score (CPS) ≥ 10. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma as neoadjuvant treatment, continued as adjuvant treatment in combination with radiation therapy with or without concomitant cisplatin and then as monotherapy in adults whose tumours express PD-L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda, as monotherapy or in combination with platinum and 5 fluorouracil (5 FU) chemotherapy, is indicated for the first line treatment of metastatic or unresectable recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a ? 50% TPS and progressing on or after platinum containing chemotherapy. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) Keytruda, in combination with axitinib, is indicated for the first line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults. Keytruda, in combination with lenvatinib, is indicated for the first line treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma in adults. Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of adults with renal cell carcinoma at increased risk of recurrence following nephrectomy, or following nephrectomy and resection of metastatic lesions (for selection criteria, please see section 5.1). Microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) cancers Colorectal cancer (CRC)Keytruda as monotherapy is indicated for theadults with MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer in the following settings: first line treatment of metastatic microsatellite instability high (MSI H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) colorectal cancer in adults; treatment of unresectable or metastatic colorectal cancer after previous fluoropyrimidine based combination therapy.  Non-colorectal cancersKeytruda as monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of the following MSI H or dMMR tumours in adults with: advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma, who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation; unresectable or metastatic gastric, small intestine, or biliary cancer, who have disease progression on or following at least one prior therapy. Oesophageal carcinoma Keytruda, in combination with platinum and fluoropyrimidine based chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic carcinoma of the oesophagus in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 10. Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery, is indicated for the treatment of adults with locally advanced, or early stage triple negative breast cancer at high risk of recurrence. Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy, is indicated for the treatment of locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic triple negative breast cancer in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 10 and who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Endometrial carcinoma (EC) Keytruda, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, is indicated for the first-line treatment of primary advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy.  Keytruda, in combination with lenvatinib, is indicated for the treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in adults who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum containing therapy in any setting and who are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. Cervical cancer Keytruda, in combination with chemoradiotherapy (external beam radiation therapy followed by brachytherapy), is indicated for the treatment of FIGO 2014 Stage III - IVA locally advanced cervical cancer in adults who have not received prior definitive therapy.  Keytruda, in combination with chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab, is indicated for the treatment of persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma Keytruda, in combination with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD-L1 with a CPS ≥ 1. Keytruda, in combination with fluoropyrimidine and platinum-containing chemotherapy, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-negative gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD L1 with a CPS ≥ 1 (see section 5.1). Biliary tract carcinoma (BTC) Keytruda, in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin, is indicated for the first-line treatment of locally advanced unresectable or metastatic biliary tract carcinoma in adults. Ovarian Cancer Keytruda, in combination with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, is indicated for the treatment of platinum‑resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma in adults whose tumours express PD‑L1 with a CPS ≥ 1 and who have received one or two prior systemic treatment regimens. source ↗

2012emaApproval — Docetaxel· Breast cancer Docetaxel Kabi in combination with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide is indicated for the adjuvant treatment of patients with: operable node-positive breast cancer; operable node-negative breast cancer. For patients with operable node-negative breast cancer, adjuvant treatment should be restricted to patients eligible to receive chemotherapy according to internationally established criteria for primary therapy of early breast cancer. Docetaxel Kabi in combination with doxorubicin is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who have not previously received cytotoxic therapy for this condition. Docetaxel Kabi monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of cytotoxic therapy. Previous chemotherapy should have included an anthracycline or an alkylating agent. Docetaxel Kabi in combination with trastuzumab is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer whose tumours overexpress HER2 and who previously have not received chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Docetaxel Kabi in combination with capecitabine is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer after failure of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Previous therapy should have included an anthracycline. Non-small-cell lung cancer Docetaxel Kabi is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer after failure of prior chemotherapy. Docetaxel Kabi in combination with cisplatin is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer, in patients who have not previously received chemotherapy for this condition. Prostate cancer Docetaxel Kabi in combination with prednisone or prednisolone is indicated for the treatment of patients with castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer. Docetaxel Kabi in combination with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), with or without prednisone or prednisolone, is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Gastric adenocarcinoma Docetaxel Kabi in combination with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma, including adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction, who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Head and neck cancer Docetaxel Kabi in combination with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil is indicated for the induction treatment of patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. source ↗

European Medicines Agency (CC BY 4.0). Events are matched to this condition by drug indication text — approvals/updates for drugs indicated for it, not disease-specific acts.

Research activity

35 papers

Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.

Publications over time

20022025

Most influential

Differential expression analysis of multifactor RNA-Seq experiments with respect to biological variation.

Nucleic acids research · 2012 · 4,281 cites

Nivolumab for Recurrent Squamous-Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.

The New England journal of medicine · 2016 · 3,835 cites

Comprehensive genomic characterization of squamous cell lung cancers.

Nature · 2012 · 3,213 cites

Platinum-based chemotherapy plus cetuximab in head and neck cancer.

The New England journal of medicine · 2008 · 2,492 cites

Neoadjuvant PD-1 Blockade in Resectable Lung Cancer.

The New England journal of medicine · 2018 · 1,540 cites

Adjuvant Nivolumab in Resected Esophageal or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer.

The New England journal of medicine · 2021 · 1,320 cites

Recent publications

Baicalin attenuates the immune escape of oral squamous cell carcinoma by reducing lactate accumulation in tumor microenvironment.

Journal of advanced research · 2025 · 37 cites

Biological biomarkers of oral cancer.

Periodontology 2000 · 2024 · 69 cites

Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 2024 · 45 cites

The Use of Immune Regulation in Treating Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC).

Cells · 2024 · 22 cites

Insights into metastatic roadmap of head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma based on clinical, histopathological and molecular profiles.

Molecular biology reports · 2024 · 17 cites

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the altered innate immunity in immune checkpoint inhibitor-related myocarditis.

Immunology · 2024 · 8 cites

Major themes8

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell19
Head and Neck Neoplasms7
Lung Neoplasms7
Mouth Neoplasms6
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung5
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors2
Papillomavirus Infections2
Penile Neoplasms2

Leading journals6

The New England journal of medicine6
Journal for immunotherapy of cancer2
Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology2
Advances in anatomic pathology1
CA: a cancer journal for clinicians1
Cancer1

Leading researchers8

Ajani JA3
Lu S3
Paz-Ares L3
Wang Z3
Zhang J3
Brahmer JR2
Cheng Y2
Ciuleanu TE2

Affiliations (unnormalised)6

Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre3
Shanghai Lung Cancer Center3
Emory University School of Medicine2
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute2
Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital2
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai2

Disease biology

6 matches

Key proteins & gene products studied in this disease. Number shows shared papers.

Q9NZQ79 Nivolumab7 Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized5 Antibodies, Monoclonal4 Ipilimumab2 Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor2

Related conditions

12 matches

Diseases frequently studied alongside this one. Number shows shared papers.

Head and Neck Neoplasms11 Lung Neoplasms11 Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung8 Mouth Neoplasms8 Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck7 Adenocarcinoma6 Esophageal Neoplasms4 Neoplasm Recurrence, Local4 Skin Neoplasms3 Brain Neoplasms2 Neoplasm Metastasis2 Papillomavirus Infections2

Disease profile

A grounded synthesis of the condition — overview, causes, mechanism, risk factors and current standard of care.

Overview

Squamous cell carcinoma is a carcinoma arising from stratified squamous epithelial cells. It can also develop in sites where glandular or columnar epithelium is normally present. The supplied literature focuses on squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, head and neck, and oesophagus.

Causes

The literature identifies persistent exposure to tobacco, alcohol, betel quid, and human papillomavirus as etiologic factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma. It also notes that oral potentially malignant disorders can precede oral squamous cell carcinoma. Beyond these associations, the supplied grounding does not support a single universal cause for squamous cell carcinoma as a broad disease category.

Pathophysiology

The reviewed literature describes squamous cell carcinoma oncogenesis as a multifactorial process involving genetic alteration, epigenetic modification, and dysregulated tumor microenvironment. It also highlights roles for transcriptome changes, signal transduction, and gene expression regulation in the disease biology. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are discussed as part of the immune response with prognostic and predictive relevance in squamous cell carcinoma and other solid tumors.

Risk factors

Persistent exposure to tobacco, alcohol, betel quid, and human papillomavirus increases risk for oral squamous cell carcinoma. Oral potentially malignant disorders are also described as lesions with increased risk of progression to oral squamous cell carcinoma. The supplied grounding does not support additional broad risk factors for all squamous cell carcinomas.

Current standard of care

For oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the literature describes a multidisciplinary approach with endoscopic procedures for premalignant and early tumors, surgery for localized disease, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy as standard treatment for locally advanced disease. Several palliative treatment alternatives are also noted. The co-studied drugs and immunotherapy-related agents indicate treatment classes used in this disease context, including platinum-based chemotherapy, fluoropyrimidines, taxanes, and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

AI-generated summary grounded in MeSH and 6 peer-reviewed sources. Informational only — not medical advice. Generated 2026-07-07.

Reference

Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.

Defined in MeSH

A carcinoma derived from stratified SQUAMOUS EPITHELIAL CELLS. It may also occur in sites where glandular or columnar epithelium is normally present. (From Stedman, 25th ed)

Identifiers

MeSHCarcinoma, Squamous Cell

References & data sources

Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.