In the specific case of the advanced HNSCC, it has been demonstrated that the secretion of FGF2 by tumor cells induces the upregulation of the FGF2/FGFR2 axis in dermal CAFs, which, in turn, contributes to CAF activation and mTOR-mediated enhancement of autophagy, a tumor-promoting event involved in the secretion of pro-tumorigenic factors [20]. Here, FGF2 is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.