PITX2 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Previously, the methylation status of the paired-like homeobox transcription factor 2 (PITX2) and its adjacent long non-coding RNA (PANCR) have been described as promising tissue-based biomarkers in HNSCC, and PITX2 hypermethylation has been associated with better overall survival in HNSCC patients [16].