MAPKAPK2 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: As locoregional recurrence remains a significant problem in HNSCC, we analyzed a surgically resected p16-negative oropharynx tissue microarray and found that high MK2 phosphorylation (p-MK2) compared to low MK2 phosphorylation trended towards worse recurrence-free survival (mRFS 11 vs 61 mo, p = n.s., HR 0.5789, 95 % confidence interval 0.203–1.653) (Fig. 1C).