The first clinical trials of NIR-PIT were conducted in patients with head and neck cancers for the following reasons: (1) approximately 90% of head and neck cancers have cell surface expression of EGFR; (2) light illumination of head and neck cancer sites is technically feasible; and (3) there is an urgent clinical need for novel treatments for recurrent metastatic head and neck cancer due to poor prognosis. This evidence concerns the gene EGFR and head and neck cancer.