In addition, a study by Boeckx et al. showed increased sensitivity of HNSCC cells to cetuximab under hypoxia.21 Similar observations were also reported by Wiechec et al., they further showed that the sensitivity to cetuximab was efficiently reversed by knockdown of HIF1α in HNSCC cells.22 However, the underlying mechanism by which hypoxia or HIF1α mediates sensitisation towards anti-EGFR mAbs is not yet clearly understood. Here, HIF1A is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.