Stage of disease confounds apparent relationship between levels of N-ras and duration of survival in head and neck tumours.
The objective of this study was to determine whether elevated levels of N-ras correlated with clinicopathological data. Complete clinical data were available on 133 of 481 patients surgically treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) who had immunohistochemical data for N-ras. Advanced stages of disease were strongly related to the staining for N-ras in tumour cells (P = 0.0031). The stage of disease was inversely related to duration of survival (P = 0.0017). Initial statistical evaluation revealed an apparent correlation between survival and N-ras staining. However, duration was found to be independent of the level of N-ras. The illusory relationship initially was a result of the confounding effect of the stage of disease.
Wilson
K M
KM
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0528, USA.
Sonke
R L
RL
McDonald
J S
JS
Stambrook
P J
PJ
Pavelic
L J
LJ
Klusman
P
P
Okum
E
E
Neenan
J
J
Gluckman
J L
JL
Pavelic
Z P
ZP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018631:ras Proteins