A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Association between high collagenase-3 expression levels and poor prognosis in patients with head and neck cancer.




AuthorsLuukkaa, Vihinen, Kronqvist, Vahlberg, Pyrhönen, Kähäri, Grénman

Publication year2006

JournalHead and Neck

Journal name in sourceHead & neck

Journal acronymHead Neck

Volume28

Issue3

First page 225

Last page34

Number of pages10

ISSN1043-3074

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1002/hed.20322


Abstract
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) is a common cancer type. The ability for curative treatment with surgery and radiotherapy (RT) is usually highly dependent on tumor stage at the time of diagnosis.\nThe purpose of this study was to determine whether the expression of a cancer-specific proteinase, collagenase-3 (matrix metalloproteinase-13 [MMP-13]), is associated with survival parameters in patients with HNSCC. We studied MMP-13 expression in tumors of 81 patients with stage I-IV HNSCC treated with surgery alone or in combination with radiotherapy.\nWe found a subgroup of patients with high MMP-13 expression level in their tumors (>/=90% MMP-13-positive tumor cells) associated with unfavorable prognosis (median overall survival [OS], 11.8 vs 19.6 months, p = .032). In addition, the median disease-specific survival (DSS) time was markedly reduced in this subgroup (13.8 months vs 40.7 months, p = .062). When the subgroup of patients treated with a curative intent was studied, the same association was found in OS (13.8 vs 24.6 months, p = .023) and DSS (p = .004). In addition, there was a trend for association between >/=90% MMP-13 positivity and a recurrent tumor (p = .078) in curatively treated patients.\nThe short survival time associated with high MMP-13 expression levels could not be predicted by tumor size or local lymph node invasion. These results show that a high MMP-13 expression level is associated with aggressiveness of HNSCC and may have prognostic value in patient evaluation.\nBACKGROUND\nMETHODS\nRESULTS\nCONCLUSIONS



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