title: Pretreatment pathologic prognostic factors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: Squamous carcinomas of the head and neck region are a common problem for the otolaryngologist; surgeons are obliged to draw together disparate lines of evidence-from physical examination, pathology, and radiology-to plan optimal therapy for their patients. This article explores some of the ways in which pathologic analysis of a biopsy specimen in the past (determination of extent of invasion and degree of differentiation), present (including an analysis of the pattern of infiltration and the tumor' s DNA content), and, perhaps, the future (possibilities including cytogenetics and analysis of discrete steps in the cell cycle) plays a role in this process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
authors.forename: K O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Devaney
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferlito
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rinaldo
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003582:Cytogenetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009710:Nucleotide Mapping; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm