ABSTRACT
Cancers arising from the upper aerodigestive tract, mostly squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), are broadly classied as head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). They account for nearly 500,000 new cases worldwide each year, constituting 5% of all malignancies and gradually increasing over the past few decades (Perez-Ordonez et al. 2006). Most HNSCCs arise in the oral cavity including oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx, and trachea. Within the oral cavity, most tumors arise from the oor of the mouth, the ventrolateral tongue, or the soft palate, while the most common oropharyngeal site of involvement is the base of the tongue. The majority of laryngeal SCCs originate from the supraglottic and glottic regions. Tracheal SCCs are rare compared to laryngeal ones (Jemal et al. 2007).
