Chromosomal aberrations and the questionable hereditary predisposition for squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck

The occurrence of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck as sporadic cancer and within familial cancer syndromes is reviewed. Moreover, an overview is given about chromosome regions frequently involved in gains and losses and about recurrent chromosomal breakpoints. In the near future, an increasing bulk of cytogenetic data of head and neck carcinoma can be expected by new techniques like fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH).