title: Prognostic significance of serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) level was an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and the prognostic value depended on the carcinoma site.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the value of SCC-Ag as a prognostic indicator in patients with HNSCC and to determine the effect of primary tumor site on prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed 493 patients with HNSCC between 2004 and 2012. The chi-squared test was used to assess associations between SCC-Ag levels and TNM classification. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the hazard ratio of SCC-Ag at different sites for death, and it was analyzed as a continuous variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median serum level of SCC-Ag was 1.1 ng/ml (range 0-20). SCC-Ag was significantly higher in patients with advanced T and N classification tumors. Primary sites in the oral cavity, in the hypopharynx, advanced T and N classification, distant metastasis, and SCC-Ag were negatively associated with survival in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that SCC-Ag was a significant risk factor for overall survival in cancers of the oral cavity, hypopharynx, and larynx, but not in oropharyngeal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine , Suita, Osaka , Japan.
authors.forename: Ryusuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Yukinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: Toshimichi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hanamoto
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takemoto
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukusumi
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hidenori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inohara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015843:Serpins / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015843:Serpins; C051072:squamous cell carcinoma-related antigen
keywords: Prognosis; hypopharynx; larynx; oral cavity; oropharynx; tumor marker