title: Sedimentation rate and serum thymidine kinase activity: prognostic factors in squamous cell head and neck cancer.
abstract: Identification of prognostic factors in squamous cell head and neck cancers involves analysis of highly diverse clinical and biological parameters. This study analyzed the prognostic value of clinical variables (age, sex, tumor site, stage) and biologic parameters (squamous cell carcinoma antigen [SCC], serum thymidine kinase activity [TK], fibrin, sedimentation rate [SR]) at the time of diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx) in 189 patients. Among the clinical variables investigated, UICC stage III-IV disease (p < .0002), a hypopharyngeal site (p < .02), and age over 60 years (p < .01) were all associated with a poor prognosis. Similarly, analysis of biological blood variables allowed definition of cut-off values above which the prognosis was poor: SCC 2.5 ng/mL (p < .01), fibrin 3.5 g/L (p < .01), TK 7 IU/L (p < .0005), and SR 15 mm per first hour (p < .0000). Cox regression analysis of overall survival identified the UICC stage (p < .000), the SR (p < .001), and serum TK (p < .02) as the main independent prognostic factors. A separate study on a small number of head and neck cancer patients revealed higher TK levels in malignant squamous cell carcinoma tissue than in adjacent healthy tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Centre Antoine-Lacassagne, Nice, France.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dassonville
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Néri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vallicioni
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Milano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Combon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lapalus
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin / Q000032:analysis; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015843:Serpins; D015996:Survival Rate; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen; D005337:Fibrin; D013937:Thymidine Kinase