Summary
The plateau in survival rates from head and neck cancer as well as the increasing incidence of disease among various populations demands the need for new perspectives in head and neck oncology. In pursuit of that goal, investigators have been developing improved biologic markers for metastatic risk of head and neck cancer. Such markers can be placed into categorical groupings, of which markers for cellular differentiation may be the most relevant. Among the growth factors relevant to head and neck cancer, epidermal growth factor and its receptor have received the most attention. Those tumors with unregulated growth factor control tend towards a more dedifferentiated state. Additionally, the degree of cellular differentiation and resulting risk of metastases may be predetermined in an individual through constitutively expressed susceptibility genes. Polymorphisms of the L-myc oncogene identified within peripheral blood lymphocytes may represent such a marker. Certain polymorphisms of this gene will identify individuals likely to express dedifferentiated head and neck cancer. Finally, the expression of cell-surface differentiation antigens may govern the capacity of cell-mediated host immune systems to control metastatic growth.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arthur K, Farr HW (1972) Prognostic significance of histologic grade in epidermoid carcinoma of the mouth and pharynx. Am J Surg 124:489–492
Byrne M (1991) Prognostic value of various molecular and cellular features in oral squamous cell carcinomas: a review. J Oral Pathol Med 20:413–420
Byrne M, Koppang HS, Lilleng R, Stene T, Bang G, Dabelsteen E (1989) New malignancy grading is a better prognostic indicator than Broders' grading in oral squamous cell carcinomas. J Oral Pathol Med 18:432–437
Byrne M, Thrane PS, Dabelsteen E (1991) Loss of expression of blood group antigen H is associated with cellular invasion and spread of oral squamous cell carcinomas. Cancer 67:613–618
Cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx: a statistics review monograph 1973–1987 (1990) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Monograph
Esteban F, Concha A, Delagdo M, Perez-Ayala M, Ruiz-Cabello, Garrido F (1990) Lack of MHC class 1 antigens and tumor aggressiveness of the squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Br J Cancer 62:1047–1051
Esteban F, Concha A, Huelin C, Perez-Ayala M, Pedrinance S, Ruiz-Cabello F, Garrido F (1989) Histocompatibility antigens in primary and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Int J Cancer 43:436–442
German J (ed) (1983) Chromosome mutation and neoplasia. Liss, New York
Hsu TC, Johnston DA, Cherry LM, Ramkisson D, Schantz SP, Jessup JM, Winn RD, Shirley L, Furlong C (1989) Sensitivity to genotoxic effects of bleomycin in humans: possible relationship to environmental carcinogenesis. Int J Cancer 43:403–409
Jakobsson PA, Enneroth CM, Killander PD, Moberger G, Martensson B (1973) Histologic classification and grading of malignancy in carcinoma of the larynx. Acta Radiol Ther Phys Biol 12:1–8
Karre K, Ljunggren HG, Piontek G, Kiessling R (1986) Selective rejection of H-2 deficient lymphoma variants suggest alternative immune defense strategy. Nature 319:675–678
Kumagai S, Kojima S, Nozaki S, Imai K, Nakagawa K, Yamamoto E (1992) Immunohistologic distribution of basement membrane in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer, p 78
Michales L (1987) Ear nose and throat histopathology. Springer, New York Berlin Heidelberg, p 387
Mickel RA, Kessler DJ, Taylor JMG, Lichtenstein A (1988) Natural killer cell cytotoxicity in the peripheral blood, cervical lymph nodes, and tumor of head and neck cancer patients. Cancer Res 48:5017–5022
Ozawa S, Ueda M, Ando N, Shimizu N, Abe O (1989) Prognostic significance of epidermal growth factor receptor in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas. Cancer 63:2169–2173
Pfeiffer D, Stellwag B, Pfeiffer A, Borlinghaus P, Meier W, Schiedel P (1989) Clinical implications of epidermal growth factor receptor in the squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Gynecol Oncol 33:146–150
Platz H, Fires R, Hudec M, Min TJPA, Wagner R (1983) The prognostic relevance of various factors at the time of the first admission of the patient. Retrospective study on carcinoma of the oral cavity. J Maxillofac Surg 11:3–12
Roland NJ, Castin AW, Nash J, Stell PM (1992) Value of grading squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Head Neck 14:224–229
Ross W, Fabbro D, Kung W, Costa SD, Eppenberger U (1986) Correlation between hormone dependency and the regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor by tumor promoters in human mammary carcinoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:991–995
Sakr WA, Zarbo RJ, Jabobs JR, Crissman JD (1987) Distribution of basement membrane in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Hum Pathol 18:1043–1050
Saranath D, Panchal RG, Nair R, Mehta AR, Sanghavi V, Deo MG (1989) Restriction fragment length polymorphism of the L-myc gene in oral cancer patients. Br J Cancer 61:530–533
Scambia G, Panici PB, Battaglia F, Mancusa S (1990) Receptors for epidermal growth factor and steroid hormones in primary laryngeal tumors. Cancer 67:1347–1351
Schantz SP, Gullamondegui OM (1988) Developing perspectives in head and neck tumor immunology. Probl Gen Surg 5:99–112
Schantz SP, Ordonez NG (1991) Quantitation of natural killer cell function and risk of metastatic poorly differentiated head and neck cancer. Nat Immun Cell Growth Regul 10:278–288
Schantz SP, Shillitoe JJ, Brown B (1985) Natural killer cell activity and head and neck cancer: a clinical assessment. J Natl Cancer Inst 77:869–875
Schantz SP, Dimery I, Lippman S, Layman GL, Pellegrina C, Morice R (1992) A phase II study of interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha against head and neck cancer. Invest New Drugs 10:223
Schipper JH, Frixen UH, Behrens J, Unger A, Jahnke K, Birchmeier W (1991) E-cadherin expression in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck: inverse correlation with tumor dedifferentiation and lymph node metastasis. Cancer Res 51:6328–6337
Trinchieri G, Perussia B (1984) Human natural killer cells: biologic pathologic aspects. Lab Invest 50:489–513
UICC (1987) TNM classification of malignant tumors, 4th edn. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Wolf GT, Carey TE, Schantz SP, McClatchey KD, Poore J, Glaser L, Hayadisha DJS, Hsu S (1990) Altered antigen expression predicts outcome in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. J Natl Cancer Inst 82:1566–1572
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Based on a presentation at the International Symposium on the N0 neck: Göttingen, September 1992
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schantz, S.P. Biologic markers, cellular differentiation, and metastatic head and neck cancer. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 250, 424–428 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00181082
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00181082