In those head and neck cancer patients with favorable prognostic, mutation analysis in HNSCC biopsies found that survivin mutation in c.278T>C (p.Phe93Ser) can inactivate survivin’s NES, leading to a dominant nuclear accumulation, and can moderate survivin’s cytoprotective activity because it can curb chemoradiation induced apoptosis. Here, BIRC5 is linked to head and neck cancer.