TP53 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: However, the development of HNSCC is characterized by multistep carcinogenic processes in which the activation of oncogenes and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, including p53, epidermal growth factor receptor, Ras, MYC, survivin, cyclin D1, and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, occurs as a result of genetic and epigenetic alterations.