Of these 23 TFs, 12 TFs (XRCC5, NFYC, HOXA1, DLX5, RREB1, PIAS4, MAFB, NR5A2, LMO4, CRTC1, SRF and CNOT8) were significantly associated with RFS in patients with HNSCC according to the findings of multiple Cox analyses (P < 0.05). Here, NR5A2 is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.