Perineural invasion (PNI) is a mechanism of tumor dissemination that can provide a challenge to tumor eradication and that is correlated with poor survival. Squamous cell carcinoma, the most common type of head and neck cancer, has a high prevalence of PNI. This review provides an overview of clinical studies on the outcomes and factors associated with PNI in head and neck cancer and on findings on cancer-nerve crosstalk.
Keywords: galanin; metastasis; neoplasm recurrence; neurotrophic factors; prognosis; squamous cell carcinoma.