title: New approach to pre-therapeutic prognosis in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
abstract: The Bleomycin (BLM)-induced apoptosis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), from patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), cultured in vitro with PHA, was tested as a predictive indicator of the survival time. The rates of the PBMC BLM-induced apoptosis and of the cycling-PBMCs, measured respectively after Giemsa- and Feulgen-staining were determined in 25 patients before induction chemotherapy. By using the Cox model, the survival probability was significantly and independently increased for a high percentage of PBMC BLM-induced apoptosis and a high rate of cycling PBMCs. (Chi-2(2): 10; p=0.007). Six patients, in whom both PBMC variables were simultaneouly greater than the median values, showed a median survival time as long as 60 months versus 10 months for the other 19. Conclusively, the PBMC susceptibility to BLM-induced apoptosis as well as the PBMC capability for cycling may be regarded as independent pretherapeutic prognosis factors for patients with advanced SCCHN.
authors.affiliation: Institut Jean-Godinot, Secteur Prevention, Reims, France.
authors.forename: Francoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roger-Liautaud
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gimonet
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Merol
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prevost
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coninx
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016923:Cell Death; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors