title: The prognostic relevance of p16 inactivation in head and neck cancer.
abstract: The inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene p16 plays an important role in the development of malignant tumors. p16 loss can result from point mutations, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) or methylation of the promoter region. A total of 67 samples of tumor tissue from squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, the pharynx and the larynx were analyzed for an inactivation of p16. The results of the molecular-biological investigations were correlated with the known clinical prognostic parameters after a follow-up period of approximately 3 years. Methylation of the promoter region and LOH were the main mechanisms of p16 inactivation. Point mutations presented as rare events. An inactivation of p16 did not have any statistical influence on tumor prognosis. Patients with a p16 gene inactivated by promoter methylation appeared to have a slightly lower tendency for local and regional recurrences. The inactivation of the tumor suppressor gene p16 plays a role in the carcinogenesis of head and neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany. sven.koscielny@med.uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koscielny
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dahse
authors.forename: Gunther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: Ferdinand
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: von Eggeling
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D019175:DNA Methylation; D020868:Gene Silencing; D019942:Genes, p16; D006801:Humans; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D017354:Point Mutation; D011379:Prognosis; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D015996:Survival Rate