Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in an advanced metastasized hypopharyngeal carcinoma and cultured tumor cells.
OBJECTIVE
The inducible enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzes PGE(2) production and plays an important role in the progression of many solid cancers. However, the role of COX-2 expression in cervical lymph node metastases of head and neck cancer has not been clarified yet.


METHODS
We comment on a male patient aged 53 who was admitted to an ENT-department with acute bleeding from an advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma and a frontotemporal mass. Prior to palliative intended radiotherapy, the metastasis was resected. During the procedure, a small amount of tumor tissue was harvested for primary tumor cell culture.


RESULTS
COX-2 overexpression was demonstrated in the primary tumor tissue, the metastasis, in the cultured tumor cells by standard immunohistochemistry, as well as cytochemistry.


CONCLUSIONS
A simultaneous expression of COX-2 in head and neck carcinoma was presented for the first time. Besides the prognostic impact in oral carcinogenesis, this COX-2 role of biomarker for aggressive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas should be further evaluated. Additionally, treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinomas with selective COX-2 inhibitors could be beneficial when administered in combination with radiochemotherapy.
Scheer
Martin
M
Department for Oral and Craniomaxillo and Facial Plastic Surgery, University of Cologne, Kerpener Strasse 62, 50931, Cologne, Germany. m.scheer@uni-koeln.de
Drebber
Uta
U
Breuhahn
Kai
K
Möckel
Christoph
C
Reuther
Tobias
T
Kern
Michael
M
Zöller
Joachim E
JE
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000032:analysis*; D005624:Frontal Bone / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007012:Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D053555:Keratin-5 / Q000032:analysis; D053553:Keratin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053555:Keratin-5; D053553:Keratin-6; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human