Objective Head and neck cancers are mostly composed of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The incidence and mortality of HNSCC are higher in countries with emerging health care systems, particularly Africa. Given that they are more genetically diverse, characterization of polymorphism in African HNSCC may result in the identification of distinct molecular targets as compared with the known HNSCC candidate genes. This study objective is to review the current evidence of genetic data on HNSCC among African populations as well as to demonstrate any distinctions as compared with known candidate genes and to appraise any research gaps. Data Sources Publications that interrogated susceptible gene polymorphisms to African-based populations with cancer were reviewed for this study. Review Methods Our search methodology was modeled after the Cochrane systematic review protocol, which included MeSH terms and keywords related to cancer, polymorphisms, and African countries. Results Seven articles studying 2 HNSCC cancer types in 3 of 54 African countries met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen polymorphisms from 10 genes were screened ( NOS3, CYP1A1, CYP2D6, NAT1, NAT2, NQO1, IL-10, IL-12, IL-8, COX2). All articles were screened for polymorphisms based on a polymerase chain reaction–based technique. All polymorphs suggested association to HNSCC, with 10 of 13 polymorphs demonstrating a statistically significant association. Conclusion Studies on known HNSCC candidate genes should be undertaken in Africa, particularly among sub-Saharan Africans. Importantly, these studies should be large scale with multiple HNC sites and with use of high-throughput methods.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.