Expression of the SEC62 gene represents a significant, independent prognostic parameter for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck undergoing primary radiochemotherapy

Introduction Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is frequently diagnosed in advanced stages, which leads to limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. Primary chemoradiotherapy is a valid treatment option for these patients, but their response to therapy is difficult to predict. Overexpression of the 3q oncogene SEC62 is associated with poor outcomes in various tumor types as well as the occurrence of lymph node and distant metastases.