title: An expression profile for diagnosis of lymph node metastases from primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.
abstract: Metastasis is the process by which cancers spread to distinct sites in the body. It is the principal cause of death in individuals suffering from cancer. For some types of cancer, early detection of metastasis at lymph nodes close to the site of the primary tumor is pivotal for appropriate treatment. Because it can be difficult to detect lymph node metastases reliably, many individuals currently receive inappropriate treatment. We show here that DNA microarray gene-expression profiling can detect lymph node metastases for primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas that arise in the oral cavity and oropharynx. The predictor, established with an 82-tumor training set, outperforms current clinical diagnosis when independently validated. The 102 predictor genes offer unique insights into the processes underlying metastasis. The results show that the metastatic state can be deciphered from the primary tumor gene-expression pattern and that treatment can be substantially improved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roepman
authors.forename: Lodewyk F A
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Wessels
authors.forename: Nienke
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kettelarij
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kemmeren
authors.forename: Antony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lijnzaad
authors.forename: Marcel G J
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tilanus
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koole
authors.forename: Gert-Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hordijk
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: van der Vliet
authors.forename: Marcel J T
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reinders
authors.forename: Piet J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Slootweg
authors.forename: Frank C P
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Holstege
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity