EGFR and head and neck cancer: The amplification of the erbB oncogenes, particularly the human EGFR gene erbB-1 and ras proto-oncogene mutations, has been shown to play a fundamental role in the progression of different solid tumours, including head and neck cancer, by acting through the activation of the ras-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway (Salomon et al, 1995; Maurizi et al, 1996; Grandis et al, 1996, 1998).