Role of Genetic Factors in the Etiology of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

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Abstract
To determine the role of genetic predisposition in the etiology of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Retrospective study. The outpatient clinics of the departments of otorhinolaryngology and maxillofacial surgery. First-degree relatives of patients with new head and neck cancer, with first-degree relatives of the patients' spouses as controls. Occurrence of cancer of the respiratory and upper digestive tract in relatives of patients with head and neck cancer and controls. First-degree relatives (n = 617) of 105 patients with head and neck cancer had 31 cases of cancer of the respiratory and upper digestive tract vs 10 cases in the control group (n = 618) (relative risk, 3.5; P = .0002). This higher rate of cancer was even larger in siblings (16 vs 2, relative risk, 14.6; P = .0001). Genetic predisposition is an important risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.