Bußmann L, Hoffer K, von Bargen CM, et al. - Researchers report a systematic study of the tyrosine kinases in head and neck cancer employing functional kinome profiling. In tumors, increased tyrosine kinase activity was evident, relative to their corresponding normal tissue. In most of the tumors, aberrant activation of members of the family of Src kinases (Src family kinases [SFK]) was seen, which was corroborated by additional methods. Poor prognosis in relation to SFK hyperphosphorylation could be demonstrated, while inhibition of SFK resulted in impaired cell proliferation, particularly in cells with hyperactive SFK. Overall, hyperactivation of SFK was frequent in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, as detected by functional kinome profiling. Thus, SFK may represent potential treatment targets. Also, these data highlight how functional tests aid to enhance the understanding of cancer biology as well as support the expansion of precision oncology.