Grade 2 HNSCC tumors (median: 297.1) demonstrate an upregulation of CD44 compared with HNSCC patients with grade 1 (median: 253.7), and grade 3 (median: 285.1), and grade 4 (Median: 132.5) tumors and normal subjects (median: 148.7). This evidence concerns the gene CD44 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.