Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Market Size, Epidemiology, In-Market Drugs Sales, Pipeline Therapies, and Regional Outlook 2025-2035

Market Overview:

The head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market reached a value of USD 1.1 Billion across the top 7 markets (US, EU4, UK, and Japan) in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the top 7 major markets to reach USD 2.7 Billion by 2035, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 8.52% during 2025-2035.

The head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market has been comprehensively analyzed in IMARC's new report titled "Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Market Size, Epidemiology, In-Market Drugs Sales, Pipeline Therapies, and Regional Outlook 2025-2035". Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is a type of cancer that arises in the squamous cells lining the mucosal layers of the head and neck region. This disease typically begins in the oral cavity, throat, and voice box but can also occur in other areas, such as the nasal passages, sinuses, salivary glands, etc. The symptoms of the ailment can vary depending on the specific location of the tumor. Some of the common indications associated with this condition include a persistent sore throat, hoarseness or voice changes, difficulty swallowing or chewing, a lump or mass in the neck, mouth ulcers, ear pain, unexplained weight loss, etc. The diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma typically involves a combination of medical history review, clinical feature assessment, and a physical examination. Various imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography scans, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging, etc., are used to identify the extent and location of the tumor. In some cases, the healthcare provider may further perform an endoscopy to visualize the throat, larynx, and other areas of the upper digestive tract.

The increasing cases of excessive alcohol consumption and tobacco use, including smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc., which can cause DNA damage and lead to the formation of cancerous cells, are primarily driving the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market. In addition to this, the rising prevalence of chronic irritation and inflammation of the oral cavity, often associated with poor hygiene practices, is also creating a positive outlook for the market. Moreover, the widespread adoption of targeted drugs, like cetuximab and pembrolizumab, which are designed to specifically aim at and inhibit certain molecules or pathways involved in cancer spread, is further bolstering the market growth. Apart from this, the escalating application of brachytherapy, since it involves placing radioactive sources directly into or near the tumor site to deliver a precise dose of radiation, is acting as another significant growth-inducing factor. Additionally, the emerging popularity of combination treatment, such as chemoradiotherapy, owing to its several benefits, including enhanced effectiveness, reduced risk of local recurrence, improved survival rates, etc., is expected to drive the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market during the forecast period.

IMARC Group's new report provides an exhaustive analysis of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market in the United States, EU4 (Germany, Spain, Italy, and France), United Kingdom, and Japan. This includes treatment practices, in-market, and pipeline drugs, share of individual therapies, market performance across the seven major markets, market performance of key companies and their drugs, etc. The report also provides the current and future patient pool across the seven major markets. According to the report, the United States has the largest patient pool for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and also represents the largest market for its treatment. Furthermore, the current treatment practice/algorithm, market drivers, challenges, opportunities, reimbursement scenario, unmet medical needs, etc., have also been provided in the report. This report is a must-read for manufacturers, investors, business strategists, researchers, consultants, and all those who have any kind of stake or are planning to foray into the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market in any manner.

Recent Developments:

• In June 2025, Merck announced that the U.S. FDA had approved KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of adult patients with resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma whose tumors express PD-L1 (Combined Positive Score [CPS] ≥1) as determined by an FDA-approved test, as a single agent as neoadjuvant treatment, continued as adjuvant treatment in combination with radiotherapy with or without cisplatin and then as a single agent.

Drugs:

Erbitux (cetuximab) works by binding to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on both normal and tumor cells, blocking the binding of natural growth factors like EGF and TGF-α. This disrupts the signaling pathways that promote cancer cell growth, survival, and spread, ultimately leading to tumor cell death. Additionally, cetuximab can trigger an immune response against cancer cells by bridging them with immune cells, leading to their destruction.

Lenvatinib is an oral multi-kinase inhibitor targeting key pathways in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. It blocks vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR1–3), fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR1–4), RET, KIT, and PDGFRα, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and proliferation. By disrupting blood supply and tumor cell signaling, lenvatinib suppresses growth and spread of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma tumors.

Tipifarnib is a farnesyltransferase inhibitor used in the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with HRAS mutations. It works by inhibiting the enzyme farnesyltransferase, which is crucial for the function of HRAS and other proteins involved in cell signaling. By blocking this enzyme, tipifarnib prevents HRAS from anchoring to the cell membrane, thus inactivating it and disrupting downstream signaling pathways that promote cancer cell growth and survival.

Time Period of the Study

• Base Year: 2024
• Historical Period: 2019-2024
• Market Forecast: 2025-2035

Countries Covered

• United States
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Spain
• Japan

Analysis Covered Across Each Country

• Historical, current, and future epidemiology scenario
• Historical, current, and future performance of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market
• Historical, current, and future performance of various therapeutic categories in the market
• Sales of various drugs across the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market
• Reimbursement scenario in the market
• In-market and pipeline drugs

Competitive Landscape:

This report also provides a detailed analysis of the current head and neck squamous cell carcinoma marketed drugs and late-stage pipeline drugs.

In-Market Drugs

• Drug Overview
• Mechanism of Action
• Regulatory Status
• Clinical Trial Results
• Drug Uptake and Market Performance

Late-Stage Pipeline Drugs

• Drug Overview
• Mechanism of Action
• Regulatory Status
• Clinical Trial Results
• Drug Uptake and Market Performance

*Kindly note that the drugs in the above table only represent a partial list of marketed/pipeline drugs, and the complete list has been provided in the report.

Key Questions Answered in this Report:

Market Insights

• How has the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
• What are the markets shares of various therapeutic segments in 2024 and how are they expected to perform till 2035?
• What was the country-wise size of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma across the seven major markets in 2024 and what will it look like in 2035?
• What is the growth rate of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma across the seven major markets and what will be the expected growth over the next ten years?
• What are the key unmet needs in the market?

Epidemiology Insights

• What is the number of incident cases (2019-2035) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma across the seven major markets?
• What is the number of incident cases (2019-2035) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by age across the seven major markets?
• What is the number of incident cases (2019-2035) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by gender across the seven major markets?
• What is the number of incident cases (2019-2035) of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by type across the seven major markets?
• How many patients are diagnosed (2019-2035) with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma across the seven major markets?
• What is the size of the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patient pool (2019-2024) across the seven major markets?
• What would be the forecasted patient pool (2025-2035) across the seven major markets?
• What are the key factors driving the epidemiological trend head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of?
• What will be the growth rate of patients across the seven major markets?

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Current Treatment Scenario, Marketed Drugs and Emerging Therapies

• What are the current marketed drugs and what are their market performance?
• What are the key pipeline drugs and how are they expected to perform in the coming years?
• How safe are the current marketed drugs and what are their efficacies?
• How safe are the late-stage pipeline drugs and what are their efficacies?
• What are the current treatment guidelines for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma drugs across the seven major markets?
• Who are the key companies in the market and what are their market shares?
• What are the key mergers and acquisitions, licensing activities, collaborations, etc. related to the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market?
• What are the key regulatory events related to the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market?
• What is the structure of clinical trial landscape by status related to the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market?
• What is the structure of clinical trial landscape by phase related to the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market?
• What is the structure of clinical trial landscape by route of administration related to the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma market?