Using a murine HNSCC model, our results indicate that treatment with cetuximab rescues the chemosensitivity of tumors in mice that were co-injected with rCAFs and FaDu cells as compared to IgG control antibody and cisplatin treated group, while the serum level of TGFα is only escalated in chemoresistant HNSCC patients during and after the NACT treatment. The gene discussed is TGFA; the disease is head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.