Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is the 9th-most common cancer worldwide and is characterized by a high rate of recurrence after therapy, with a median 5-year survival range of 40-50% (1). HNSCC tumors show a wide range of heterogeneity in response to radiation therapy. Cellular HNSCC models that demonstrate a range of radiation sensitivity are thus invaluable for elucidating the factors underlying radiation responses of cancer cells.The SCC-61 HNSCC cell line, derived from an aggressive tongue squamous cell carcinoma (2), is an established model for HNSCC. SCC-61 cells are relatively sensitive to radiation compared to other HNSCC cell lines as well as a relatively stable genome (3). SCC-61 cells grow robustly and are strongly adherent in culture. SCC-61 cells have been characterized by positive expression of the SCC marker p63 (p40) (4). SCC-61 cells have demonstrated utility in studies parsing mechanisms of radio-resistance in SCC tumor cells, as demonstrated by transformation of this cell line with factors conferring radio-resistance (5). Source:SCC-61 cell line was derived from a tongue squamous cell carcinoma of a male patient (2).Research Category:Cancer