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Previous studies indicated that adipose tissue significantly influences cancer invasion and lymphatic metastasis. However, the impact of neck adipose tissue (NAT) on lymph node metastasis associated with head and neck cancer remains ambiguous. Here, we systematically assess the classification and measurement criteria of NAT and evaluate the association of adipose tissue and cancer-associated adipocytes with head and neck cancer. We delve into the potential mechanisms by which NAT facilitate cervical lymph node metastasis in head and neck cancer, particularly through the secretion of adipokines such as leptin, adiponectin, and Interleukin-6. Our aim is to elucidate the role of NAT in the progression and metastasis of head and neck cancer, offering new insights into prevention and treatment., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The handling editor JH declared a shared parent affiliation with the author(s) at the time of review., (Copyright © 2024 Pan, Xu, Fan, Miao, Shen, Wang, Wu, Hu, Wang, Xiang and Ye.)

Recent studies showed that lipid metabolism reprogramming contributes to tumorigenicity and malignancy by interfering energy production, membrane formation, and signal transduction in cancers. HNSCCs are highly reliant on aerobic glycolysis and glutamine metabolism. However, the mechanisms underlying lipid metabolism reprogramming in HNSCCs remains obscure. The present review summarizes and discusses the "vital" cellular signaling roles of the lipid metabolism reprogramming in HNSCCs. We also address the differences between HNSCCs regions caused by anatomical heterogeneity. We enumerate these recent findings into our current understanding of lipid metabolism reprogramming in HNSCCs and introduce the new and exciting therapeutic implications of targeting the lipid metabolism., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Miao, Wang, Chen, Ding, Wu, Pan, Ji, Ye and Xiang.)