Telomerase activity levels in the surgical margin and tumour distant tissue of the squamous cell carcinoma of the head-and-neck.
The survival of patients with a head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma is determined by loco-regional recurrence and second primary carcinomas. As a complement to histopathology, molecular changes of tumour marginal and tumour distant tissue may confirm curative surgical tumour extirpation. We tested telomerase activity with PCR-ELISA kits.20 tumour margin biopsies were chosen by the surgeon from 20 patients. In addition, 3 tissue samples were taken from each of 20 additional patients, one from the carcinoma centre, the tumour margin and one distant from the tumour. 50% of the carcinoma centres were telomerase-positive. Thirteen of the 40 tumour margin samples showed increased telomerase levels, and in 3 of these residual carcinoma was histopathologically detected. Six of the 20 tumour distant tissues revealed increased telomerase levels. Telomerase positivity in carcinoma-free tumour margins correlated with a good prognosis. Confirmation of the results in a larger patient group is needed.
Fabricius
Eva-Maria
EM
Clinic for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Campus Virchow Hospital, Charité, Medical Faculty of the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. eva-maria.fabricius@charite.de
Gurr
Ulrike
U
Wildner
Gustav-Paul
GP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D015996:Survival Rate; D019098:Telomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019098:Telomerase