Relaxin-2 expression in temporal bone carcinoma.
Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TBSCC) is an uncommon, aggressive malignancy with a significant local recurrence rate even in patients with postoperative pathology reports of free surgical margins. This raises the question of how "free" negative margins should be to be oncologically safe, especially in bone tissue. A potential role for relaxin-2 hormone in tumor-driven osteolysis has recently been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic role of relaxin-2 expression in TBSCC tissue specimens and pathologically negative bone margins. Relaxin-2 immunohistochemical expression was assessed in 25 consecutively operated TBSCC patients. Several pathological variables correlated with recurrence rate (pT stage, dura mater involvement), disease-free survival (DFS) (pT stage, pN status, grade, and dura mater involvement), and disease-specific survival (DSS) (pT stage, pN status, grade, and dura mater involvement). The recurrence rate, DFS, and DSS did not correlate with relaxin-2 expression in TBSCC specimens or pathologically negative bone margins. Although local recurrence in TBSCC could relate to neoplastic bone invasion not apparent on conventional pathological investigations, the present preliminary findings seem to rule out any role of relaxin-2 in mediating this local aggressiveness. Molecular mechanisms of TBSCC recurrence after curative treatment should be further investigated.
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy. gino.marioni@unipd.it.
Gino
G
Marioni
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Elisabetta
E
Zanoletti
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Andrea
A
Lovato
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Sebastiano
S
Franchella
DIMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Luciano
L
Giacomelli
Anatomic Pathology Unit, Ospedali Riuniti Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy.
Andrea
A
Gianatti
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Antonio
A
Mazzoni
DIMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Stella
S
Blandamura
Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Alessandro
A
Martini
D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012065:Relaxin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000378:metabolism*
C095068:RLN2 protein, human; D012065:Relaxin
Bone invasion; Prognosis; Relaxin-2; Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma