This indicates that the disease-specific mortality of patients is correlated with CAFs harboring various amounts of α-SMA expression (44) The analysis of α-SMA in HNSCC-derived PtFs and CAFs in our study did not disclose any significant differences across all patients on average, but two patients showed higher α-SMA expression in CAFs compared to PtFs (both HPV-neg). This evidence concerns the gene ACTA1 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.