Intense CD44 expression is a negative prognostic factor in tonsillar and base of tongue cancer
David Lindquist1, Andreas Ahrlund-Richter, Miklós Tarján
1Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Falun, Sweden. david.lindquist@onkologi.umu.se
Background:
Patients with tonsillar and base of tongue cancer, which are human papillomavirus (HPV) positive, have a better clinical outcome than those with HPV-negative tumors. The identification of additional predictive markers for response to therapy could still be of great use.
Materials And Methods:
Tumor markers CD44, p16, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), E-cadherin, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX 2), Ki-67, and p27 were analyzed by immunochemistry, and HPV status was tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in tumors from 73 patients and correlated to survival.
Results:
High intensity CD44 staining (p=0.006) and high EGFR expression (p=0.026) were indicators of poor prognosis, while high p16 expression (p=0.021) and younger age (p=0.002) were positive prognostic markers for disease-specific survival. Furthermore, staining of CD44 (p=0.026) and age (p=0.002) were shown to be strong prognostic markers in multivariate analysis, which should be evaluated further for possible use in clinical practice.
