For each HNSCC patient, a risk score was calculated based on the expression levels of the six characteristic DEGs and corresponding coefficients from the LASSO Cox regression: risk score = 0.0369 × expression of AREG+ 0.03432 × expression of THBS1+ 0.02182 × expression of SEMA3C+ 0.07125 × expression of ANO1+(-0.07718) × expression of IGHG2+ (-0.09177) × expression of EPHX3. Here, AREG is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.