title: Significance of Serum L-fucose Glycoprotein as Cancer Biomarker in Head and Neck Malignancies without Distant Metastasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Head and neck neoplasia is a major form of cancer in India, accounting for 30% of all cancers which occur in males and 11% of cancers which occur in females. Elevated serum L-fucose glycoprotein levels have been reported to be associated with neoplastic conditions involving various sites. Therefore, monitoring serum/tissue L-fucose glycoprotein levels could be a promising approach for the early diagnosis and prognosis of head neck cancers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was carried out to determine the significance of serum L-fucose levels in head and neck malignancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This comparative study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital in South India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum L-fucose glycoprotein levels were estimated in 50 patients with histopathologically confirmed head and neck malignancies and they were compared with those of 50 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Student's t-test was used to compare L-fucose glycoprotein levels in study and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most common site of the primary tumour in the current study was oral cavity, followed by larynx, hypopharynx and oropharynx respectively. Comparison of glycoprotein L-fucose in two groups showed more than a two-fold rise in serum fucose levels in cases as compared to the those in controls, with mean values of 11.33±7.39 and 4.74±1.55 mg% in cases and controls respectively. There was no relationship between serum fucose levels and age, sex and tumour differentiation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum glycoprotein L-fucose levels can be used as an effective biochemical indicator in conjunction with clinical diagnostic procedures in head and neck neoplasia and they may be useful for monitoring recurrences.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute , Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: Rathan K S
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.affiliation: Professor & HOD, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, K S Hegde Medical Academy , Mangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors.forename: Satheesh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Bhandary
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute , Pondicherry, India .
authors.forename: Arunava
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kali
keywords: Head and neck neoplasms; Serum L-fucose glycoprotein; Squamous cell carcinoma