title: A high nuclear nm23-H1 expression is associated with a better prognosis in elderly patients with laryngeal carcinoma.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Nuclear nm23-H1 expression may be useful in identifying elderly patients operated for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) at higher risk of recurrence. Further studies are needed to clarify the biological role of nm23-H1 in elderly patients with LSCC and to determine how to restore nm23-H1 loss of expression/function.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Nowadays more than 50% of cancer cases are elderly patients and this percentage is expected to be 70% by 2030. Despite advances in LSCC diagnosis and treatment, patient survival has not improved in the last two decades. Novel, effective strategies should rely also on receptor-mediated LSCC-targeted therapy. nm23-H1 protein is related to the tumor cells' metastatic potential, and low nm23-H1 expression in carcinomas often correlates with a poor prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry and image analysis were used to investigate the prognostic value of nm23-H1 expression and subcellular localization in a series of 54 elderly patients consecutively undergoing primary surgery for LSCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On univariate analysis, the disease recurrence rate correlated inversely with nuclear nm23-H1 expression (p = 0.014), and disease-free survival (DFS) was longer in patients whose nuclear nm23-H1 levels were ≥2.0% (p = 0.022). On multivariate analysis, nuclear nm23-H1 expression (hazard ratio (HR) 2.77, p = 0.022) and N stage (HR 3.49, p = 0.007) were prognostically significant in terms of DFS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lionello
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blandamura
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lovato
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franchella
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ottaviano
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stellini
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staffieri
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marioni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D054778:NM23 Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinases; C517938:NME1 protein, human