Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the most common histological form of head and neck tumors (HNTs), which originate from the epithelium of the lips and oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, salivary glands, nasal cavity, and sinuses. The main risk factors include consumption of tobacco in all forms and alcohol, as well as infections with high-risk human papillomaviruses or the Epstein–Barr virus. Regardless of the etiological agent, the risk of developing different types of HNTs is from two to more than six times higher in males than in females. The reason for such disparities probably lies in a combination of both biological and psychosocial factors. Therefore, it is hypothesized that exposure to female sex hormones, primarily estrogen, provides women with protection against the formation and metastasis of HNTs. In this review, we synthesized available knowledge on the role of estrogen and estrogen receptors (ERs) in the development and progression of HNTs, with special emphasis on membrane ERs, which are much less studied. We can summarize that in addition to epidemiologic studies unequivocally pointing to the protective effect of estrogen in women, an increased expression of both nuclear ERs, ERα, and ERβ, and membrane ERs, ERα36, GPER1, and NaV1.2, was present in different types of HNSCC, for which anti-estrogens could be used as an effective therapeutic approach.
头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）是头颈部肿瘤（HNTs）最常见的组织学类型，起源于唇、口腔、咽、喉、唾液腺、鼻腔及鼻窦的上皮组织。其主要风险因素包括各种形式的烟草消费、饮酒，以及高危型人乳头瘤病毒或爱泼斯坦-巴尔病毒感染。无论致病因素如何，男性罹患各类头颈部肿瘤的风险是女性的2至6倍以上。这种差异可能源于生物因素与社会心理因素的综合作用。因此，有假说认为女性接触性激素（主要是雌激素）可使其对头颈部肿瘤的形成和转移产生保护作用。本综述整合了关于雌激素及其受体（ERs）在头颈部肿瘤发生发展中作用的研究进展，特别聚焦于目前研究较少的膜雌激素受体。总结发现，除流行病学研究明确指向雌激素对女性的保护作用外，在不同类型的头颈部鳞状细胞癌中均存在核雌激素受体（ERα和ERβ）与膜雌激素受体（ERα36、GPER1及NaV1.2）表达上调的现象，这提示抗雌激素药物可能成为有效的治疗策略。
The Role of Estrogen and Estrogen Receptors in Head and Neck Tumors
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家