title: Tumor Biomarkers in Spindle Cell Variant Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck.
abstract: To determine biomarkers of recurrence and survival in patients with spindle cell variant squamous cell carcinoma (SpSCC) of the head and neck.
  
  
  
  Retrospective case control study.
  
  
  
  Tertiary academic center.
  
  
  
  Thirty-two SpSCC patients (mean age, 68.8) between 1987 and 2009 were identified and reviewed. A tissue microarray (TMA) was constructed from tumor specimens. Tumor biomarkers under study included p16, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), p53, EZH2, cyclin D1, CD104, HGFa, p21, and cMET. An additional TMA was constructed from patients with non-SpSCC oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma for comparative purposes. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS).
  
  
  
  In the SpSCC cohort, tumors positive for cMet had worse OS (P < .001). Patients positive for cMet (P = .007), cyclin D1 (P = .019), and p16 (P = .004) had worse DSS. Recurrence-free survival was also worse in patients with tumors positive for cMet (P = .037), cyclin D1 (P = .012), and p16 (P < .001). Compared with the oral cavity cohort, there was a significantly larger proportion of patients in the SpSCC group with tumors staining positive for cMet and a lower proportion of tumors positive for cyclin D1.
  
  
  
  cMet, cyclin D1, and p16 are predictive tumor biomarkers for risk of recurrence and worse DSS in patients with SpSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rosko
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Birkeland
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Muenz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bellile
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Carol R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bradford
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA mspector@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Spector
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: EGFR; biomarkers; cMet; cyclin D1; head and neck cancer; p16; sarcomatoid; spindle cell