[Cytogenetic and hormonal changes in head and neck squamous cell cancer patients: potential biomarkers for functional approaches in surgical oncology].
Squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (SCCHN) is the third most common cause of death from cancer among Hungarian males. This cancer is caused in most of the cases by chronic toxic effects of the environment, especially by tobacco smoking and regular alcohol consumption. SCCHNs similar for the first sight, might have different clinical course, mainly because of their different responses to anticancer therapies. In this study, potential biomarkers were examined that were thought to develop as biologic responses to the known environmental toxicities, therefore, their testing is supposed to help answer the most important questions of clinical oncology: understanding tumor development, early detection of cancer and individually tailored therapy planning based on the biological nature of a particular cancer. Elevated rate of spontaneous chromosome aberrations proved to be a reliable marker of the SCCHN phenotype. However, increased mutagen sensitivity by the bleomycin-test, unlike in the US or in Western Europe, was not suitable to detect the individual cancer risk in this country, because of the high mutagen sensitivity of more than half of the healthy Hungarian population examined. In the light of the high cancer incidence and mortality statistics of Hungary, the frequency of elevated mutagen sensitivity even among healthy people is a meaningful finding, and requires further clarification. Our studies on the hormonal status of male SCCHN patients revealed some pathological changes in the sex steroid and pituitary hormone serum levels, which most probably accompanied chronic alcoholic liver disease. The elevated prolactin and decreased total and free testosterone levels predicted poor prognosis of the disease. The importance of the potential relationship between hormones and SCCHN is underscored by our further finding of functioning estrogen and progesterone receptors in SCCHN tissue of our patients.
Remenár
Eva
E
Szegedi Tudományegyem Doktori Iskolája Szeged Országos Onkológiai Intézet 1122 Budapest Ráth György u. 7-9. reva@oncol.hu
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D043171:Chromosomal Instability; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary / Q000453:epidemiology; D008214:Lymphocytes; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D013739:Testosterone; D011388:Prolactin