CD44v6 expression in primary breast carcinoma in western India: a pilot clinicopathologic study.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: In India, breast cancer is becoming the number one cancer in females. CD44 is believed to play a critical role in the metastatic process, and its spliced forms, especially CD44v6, bestow a metastatic phenotype onto non-metastatic cells. However, the biological significance of CD44v6 in tumor progression remains controversial. Hence, pursuing our interest based on previous observations of a significant association of CD44 standard with advanced stage and poor survival, the present study investigated CD44v6 expression in our series of breast cancer. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: For this purpose, 85 untreated primary breast cancer patients were enrolled. CD44v6 was localized immunohistochemically, and its mRNA transcript along with CD44v9 and CD44v10 mRNA were studied by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Membranous and/or cytoplasmic staining of CD44v6 was observed in 48% of the primary breast cancers. CD44v6 protein expression showed no significant association with clinical risk factors and survival. At the RNA level, the expression of CD44v6, CD44v9 and CD44v10 in breast cancers was 44%, 22% and 36%, respectively. CD44v6 mRNA expression significantly correlated with CD44v9 (P = 0.013) and CD44v10 (P = 0.0001) but showed no correlation with its protein expression. Furthermore, except for CD44v6 mRNA, none of the other isoforms were associated with clinical risk factors or survival. Loss of CD44v6 mRNA was significantly associated with poor overall survival (P = 0.018). In multivariate overall survival analysis, loss of CD44v6 mRNA expression was a significant independent factor of a poor prognosis (P = 0.045) with a relative risk of 2.10, entering the equation at step three after stage and lymph node status. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary results suggest an important role of CD44v6 in our series of patients. Down-expression of CD44v6 may be associated with the tumor cell phenotype, facilitating aggressive growth properties that affect the prognosis.

Prognostic significance of molecular markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a multivariate analysis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple marker accumulation impacts tumor progression and biologic phenotypes affect clinical outcome of patients with head and neck cancer. Hence, this study investigated a battery of molecular markers that may help to reflect biologic aggressiveness and predict prognosis. METHODS: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Stat3, H-ras, c-myc, p53, cyclin D1, p16, Rb, Ki-67, and Bcl-2 were localized immunohistochemically in 135 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients to assess prognostic value. RESULTS: In univariate analysis of total patients, p53, Stat3, and p16 predicted both relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). In Cox multivariate analysis, after adjusting for tumor size, nodal status, and lymphatic permeation, p53 was independently associated with RFS and OS, and p16 with RFS only. In only early-stage patients, in univariate analysis, nuclear Stat3 was significant for RFS and OS. CONCLUSION: Immunostaining of p53, p16, and Stat3 might serve as potential adjuncts in pathologic evaluation of oral tumors to predict risk of relapse.

Expression of C-Myc mRNA in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical significance of C-myc mRNA in patients with tongue cancer. METHODS: C-myc mRNA expression was studied by RT-PCR in peripheral blood of 25 tongue cancer patients and 24 controls. C-myc protein expression was studied by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In tongue cancer patients, pretherapeutic C-myc mRNA expression was significantly higher as compared to controls. In tumor tissues, a trend of low expression of C-myc mRNA was noted as compared to pretherapeutic blood. The mean pretherapeutic C-myc mRNA level was lower in tobacco-users, in older patients, in keratinizing tumors, in tumors showed lymphocytic infiltration as well as in non-responders as compared to their respective counterparts. C-myc mRNA expression was lower in tumors showed lymphatic permeation and in patients with a habit of tobacco use. Further, low C-myc mRNA expression associated with poor prognosis. C-myc protein expression was noted in 72% of the tumors and an inverse correlation was noted between C-myc protein expression and disease stage. In early stage disease, an inverse correlation was noted while in advanced stage disease, a positive correlation was noted. CONCLUSION: In tongue cancer, downregulation of C-myc mRNA associated with advancement of the disease and worse prognosis.

Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma - larynx.

Solitary Plasmacytoma of the larynx is a rare tumor with male predominance and most patients are between 50-70 years of age. The paper reports a case of Solitary Extramedullary' Ipasmacytoma. (EMP) ljirynx in subglottic region, in a 65-year-old man successfully treated with complete response to radiotherapy.