Association between interleukin-6 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review
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2021
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Abstract
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a proinflammatory cytokine which plays an important role in several regulatory mechanisms of can-cer. Moreover, experimental and clinical studies have reported that IL-6 targeted therapies might provide significant bene-fits for cancer treatment. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate IL-6 activity in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). A systematic review of the association between serum, saliva and tumor IL-6 and HN-SCC was developed on PubMed/Medline in the publication range from January 1995 to January 2019. Our literature analysis demonstrated that overexpression and elevated serum and/or saliva IL-6 concentrations in patients with HNSCC are related to poor survival and oncological outcomes. Although there is a correlation between IL-6 concentrations and tumor-igenicity, it is noteworthy that IL-6 targeted therapies are generally performed in vitro and in experimental studies. There-fore, prospective, randomized clinical trials are required that focus on IL-6 targeted therapies for the treatment of HNSCC. © 2021 by Korean Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.