The mutational landscape of early‐ and typical‐onset oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

This study identifies 7 specific areas in the human genetic code that could be responsible for promoting the development of tongue cancer. Tongue cancer in young patients (under the age of 50 years) has fewer overall changes to the genetic code in comparison with tongue cancer in older patients, but the authors do not think that this is due to differences in smoking rates between the 2 groups. The cause of increasing cases of tongue cancer in young patients remains unclear.