To investigate if an increased pro-inflammatory gene signature mediated by deregulated IL-1 signaling was involved in erlotinib resistance in HNSCC cells, gene expression analyses were performed on erlotinib-resistant (ER) and parental erlotinib-sensitive (ES) FaDu, CAL 27, SQ20B and SCC-25 HNSCC cells. Here, IL1A is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.