[Expression of beta-catenin protein in laryngeal squamous-cell carcinoma]

beta-catenin and APC are key components of Wnt signaling pathway. Moreover beta-catenin protein is an adhesion molecule, which exists in complex with E-cadherin. Although clinical impact of beta-catenin in laryngeal cancer is still unclear. Our purpose was to investigate an expression of beta-catenin and its possible prognostic value in laryngeal cancer. The group of 41 patients with laryngeal cancer, surgically treated with minimum 5 years observation, was multi-variously analysed. Paraffin-embedded tissue sections from each case were immunohistochemically stained with a monoclonal antibody raised against beta-catenin antigen. By univariate analysis expression of beta-catenin analysed on the front of laryngeal tumour proved to be significantly related to overall and disease free survival, which were shorter in cases with cytoplasmatic expression. Although there were co correlation with overall and disease free survival in assessment of beta-catenin examined in the middle of tumours. Expression of beta-catenin in the primary tumours was not associated with its size, nodal status, local and nodal recurrences and histological stage (grading). Analysis of beta-catenin protein expression enables the assessment of biology of laryngeal cancer and it can be a prognostic factor of overall and disease free survival, while measures on front tumour in patients with laryngeal cancer.