S‐Adenosylmethionine, a Promising Antitumor Agent in Oral and Laryngeal Cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC), which includes cancers of the oral cavity and larynx, is one of the most common and highly aggressive malignancies worldwide, despite significant efforts committed in recent decades in its detection, prevention, and treatment. The intrinsic or acquired drug resistance during treatment is the main limitation to chemotherapy, increasing mortality and cancer recurrence. Therefore, there is a growing scientific interest in identifying and developing adjuvant chemotherapies able to improve currently available treatments. S‐Adenosylmethionine (AdoMet), a safe and nontoxic natural cofactor with pleiotropic effects on multiple cellular processes and the main biological methyl donor in transmethylation reactions, has been considerably studied as a therapeutic compound. Its application, alone or in combination with other drugs, is emerging as a potentially effective strategy for cancer treatment and for chemoprevention. This review summarizes the structural, pharmacological, and clinical aspects of AdoMet and provides an overview of the recent results highlighting its anticancer activity in the treatment of oral and laryngeal cancer, with particular emphasis on its molecular mechanisms and the promising chemoprotective and synergistic effects exerted in combination with cisplatin and specific microRNAs.