Head and neck cancer (HNC) is an increasing problem worldwide. Oral carcinogenesis is a highly complex multifocal process. Molecular mechanisms contributing to initiation and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are still poorly known. Endocrine microenvironment is another imperative factor beside other well-documented risk factors like tobacco smoking, alcohol and infections in causing cancers of head and neck. These endocrine hormones play a role in tumor progression in case of cancers characteristically expressing sex hormone receptors, and it has been proven that these receptors also reside outside the sex organs in the larynx and lungs. However, the role of sex hormones in HNC is controversial, and few studies have been conducted to delineate their role in HNC. So, this review article is an attempt to draw an attention towards the potential role of sex hormones in pathogenesis of HNC and potential therapeutic modalities to prevent onset and progression of cancer.
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.