Because basal-like HNSCC aberrantly expresses factors involved in EGFR signaling, including the upregulated expression of the EGFR ligand epiregulin, the authors proposed that the sensitivity of basal-like cells to EGFR blockade results from their addiction to an oncogenic autoamplifying loop characterized by high expression of epiregulin and amphiregulin. Here, AREG is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.