To investigate the role of programmed death-1 (PD-1), programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and P16 in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). A total of 95 paraffin-embedded samples of tumorous tissue of HNSCC were collected. Expression levels of PD-1, PD-L1, and P16 were determined by immunohistochemistry. A significantly higher proportion of PD-1 among patients infected with the human papillomavirus was found. PD-L1 expression is closely associated with the primary site of the tumor, postoperative recurrence, survival, PD-1 expression and P16 expression. Univariable analysis indicated that T stage, N stage, tumor node metastasis stage, tumor differentiation, and PD-L1 expression were all shown to be prognostic variables for overall survival in patients with HNSCC. In the multivariate analysis, only N stage (P = 0.010) and PD-L1 expression (P = 0.001) were found to be independent prognostic variables for overall survival. In addition, for disease recurrence, multivariate analysis showed that only PD-L1 expression was the associated independent risk factor. For the patients with negative PD-L1 expression, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that they had significantly worse outcomes in terms of overall survival (P = 0.001). Similarly, compared with the patients with positive PD-L1 expression, those with negative PD-L1 expression had a higher probability of recurrence (P = 0.026). The expression of PD-L1, PD-1, and P16 in HNSCC is significantly correlated. Human papillomavirus infection (P16 positive) is negatively related to postoperative recurrence. HNSCC patients with positive PD-L1/PD-1 expression tend to have better overall survival outcomes and lower probability of recurrence, providing more evidence for the PD-l-targeted immunotherapy of HNSCC.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) constitute a critical component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). CAFs can be reprogrammed by cancer cells, leading to the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs). These EVs serve as carriers for bioactive substances, including proteins, nucleic acids, and metabolic products, thereby facilitating tumor progression. CAF-derived EVs exert substantial influence on tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, the immunological environment, and the processes of lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis. Despite their potential as non-invasive biomarkers and therapeutic delivery vehicles, the clinical application of CAF-derived EVs is currently limited by challenges in purification and precise targeting. This review delineates the diverse roles of CAF-derived EVs in tumor growth, metastasis, and immune evasion within the TME.

Purpose: Whether or not young patients with squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity (OC-SCC) have a difference in prognosis remains a controversy. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and difference of survival rates between adult patients less than 40 years of age and those 40 years of age and older.Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the database of patients diagnosed with OC-SCC between 1990 and 2013 in the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, but patients older than 85 years, younger than 18 years, or died within 6 months of diagnosis were excluded. Patients were categorized into two groups: the young group (< 40 years of age) and the older group (≥ 40 years of age). Cox regression, survival and subgroups analyses were performed. The primary endpoints included the rates of 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS).Results: A total of 1902 OC-SCC patients were identified. The percentage of female in the young group was significantly higher than that in the older group (40.27% vs 31.03%,p < 0.001). This study failed to find the difference in TNM classification or tumor stage between the two groups (p > 0.05). The young group was more likely to receive adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (42.48% vs 26.91%,p < 0.001). The 5-year OS rate (71% vs. 57%,p < 0.001) and DSS rate (72% vs 58%,p < 0.001) in patients under 40 years were significantly higher than those for the older group.Conclusion: Our findings suggested that OC-SCC in younger patients did not present at a more advanced stage. In addition, young age is an independent predictor for better survival.

Gut microbiota is crucial for protecting the homeostasis of immune locally and systemically, and its dysbiosis is essentially correlated to tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and refractoriness to cancer treatments, including the novel immunotherapy. Increasing evidence unravel the intricate role of gut microbiota in reshaping tumor microenvironment and affecting the efficacy and toxicities of immunotherapy, which shed more light on the future applications of gut microbiota in efficacious biomarker and combination treatment of immunotherapy. To better grasp the underlying crosstalk between gut microbiota and immunotherapy, more experimental and clinical trials are indispensable for the customized gut microbiota-based treatments in cancer patients undergoing immunotherapy.

Oral cancer is a common type of head and neck cancers. Knowing its epidemiologic characteristics is crucial to preventing, diagnosing, and treating this cancer. This study aimed to explore the epidemiologic characteristics of oral cancer in South China. We retrospectively analyzed data from 4097 oral cancer patients treated at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between 1960 and 2013. We compared the age of onset, sex ratio, pathologic type, and primary tumor location among three subcultural areas (Guangfu, Hakka, and Chaoshan) and between an economically developed region and a less-developed one in Guangdong. Overall, oral cancer had a male-to-female ratio of approximately 2:1, and this ratio decreased over time. Oral cancer occurred mostly in patients of 45–64 years old (54.5%), and the percentage of older patients gradually increased over time. The most common tumor location was the tongue. Squamous cell carcinoma was the predominant pathologic type. The percentage of blood type O in oral cancer patients was lower than that in the healthy population. The male-to-female ratio in the Chaoshan area was higher than that in the Guangfu and Hakka areas, whereas the age of disease onset in Guangfu was higher than that in Hakka and Chaoshan. The male-to-female ratio was lower and the age of disease onset was higher in the economically developed region than in the less-developed region. The incidence of oral cancer in South China presents typical characteristics to which doctors should pay attention when diagnosing and treating oral cancer patients.