title: Mammalian target of rapamycin expression and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma prognosis: novel preliminary evidence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has a key role in regulating cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell migration, and angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between mTOR and clinicopathological and prognostic parameters in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mammalian target of rapamycin expression was determined in 103 consecutive operable laryngeal SCCs. Among the mTOR-positive cases, the locoregional recurrence rate was higher (P=0.048) and the disease-free survival (DFS) rate was shorter (P=0.031) in patients with mTOR expression >50.7%. In the N(0) subgroup, the disease recurrence rate was higher (P=0.034) and the DFS was shorter (P=0.009) in patients with mTOR expression >50.7%. In mTOR-positive patients, multivariate analysis showed that N stage (P=0.0001) and mTOR status (P=0.042) were independent indicators of a poor prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  mTOR appeared to be a significant predictor of DFS in univariate and multivariate models. mTOR expression in laryngeal SCC may be useful for the detection of patients at higher risk for recurrence, and N(0) patients at higher risk for early locoregional recurrence who might benefit from more aggressive therapy. The role of mTOR inhibitors in multimodality or multitarget strategies against laryngeal SCC warrants investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. gino.marioni@unipd.it
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marioni
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staffieri
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lionello
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guzzardo
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Busnardo
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blandamura
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases