The implication of CDKN2A in the pathogenesis of odontogenic and other head and neck cancers is reinforced by the characterization of CDKN2A as a susceptibility locus for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a genome-wide association study performed in a Chinese population;28 in addition, it has been suggested that the methylation of the CDKN2A locus is an important mechanism of odontogenic tumourigenesis,29,30 and loss of heterozygosity is observed for both TP53 and 9p22-p21 (the genomic region where the CDKN2A locus occurs) in odontogenic tumours.31 This evidence concerns the gene TP53 and head and neck cancer.