Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Cancer
1.2 Head and neck cancer
1.2.1 Definition
1.2.2 Epidemiology
1.2.3 Etiology
1.2.4 Methods to study a head and neck tumor
1.2.5 Staging
1.2.6 Management
1.2.7 Prognosis
1.2.8 Quality of life
1.3 Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer and reasons for its failure
1.3.1 Treatment characteristics
1.3.2 Patient characteristics
1.3.3 Tumor biology
1.5 References
Chapter 2: HPV and high-risk gene expression profiles predict response to chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer, independent of clinical factors
Chapter 3: CD44 expression predicts local recurrence after radiotherapy in larynx cancer
Chapter 4: Pretreatment microRNA expression impacting on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition predicts intrinsic radiosensitivity in head and neck cancer cell lines and patients
Chapter 5: Comparing hypoxia signatures in head and neck cancer
Chapter 6: General discussion
6.1 The road to discovery of clinically relevant biomarkers for radiotherapy response
6.2 Is more research needed?
6.2.1 Patient numbers
6.2.2 Cutoff values
6.2.3 Interactions between factors
6.2.4 Prognostic vs. predictive factors
6.3 Rubbish in, rubbish out (quote Adrian C. Begg)
6.3.1 The pre-treatment sample
6.3.2 Just (messenger) RNA?
6.3.3 Need for adequate biomarkers of processes
6.4 How to individualize future treatment?
6.5 References
Appendices
About the author
Curriculum vitae
List of publications/ presentations