CD44 expression is related to poor prognosis of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

Conclusions: CD44 expression in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) is closely associated with poor prognosis for patients. CD44 may serve as a prognostic marker for hypopharyngeal SCCs. Objectives: CD44, an adhesion molecule binding to extracellular matrix, is believed to participate in the progression of malignancies. To clarify the role of CD44 in the progression of hypopharyngeal SCCs, we examined CD44 expression in relation to clinical parameters in hypopharyngeal SCCs. Methods: Biopsy specimens of hypopharyngeal SCCs were collected from 40 untreated patients, and their CD44 expression was examined immunohistochemically. Hypopharyngeal SCCs were classified into two groups: CD44-low SCCs comprising < 50% CD44-positive tumor cells and CD44-high SCCs comprising ≥ 50% CD44-positive tumor cells. The relation between CD44 expression and various parameters (clinical T and N stages, distant metastasis, and pathological T and N stages) was analyzed by Fisher's exact test. The relation between CD44 expression and the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was also analyzed by log rank test. Results: The CD44 expression in hypopharyngeal SCCs was related to pathological N stage, but not to clinical T and N stages and pathological T stage, of the patients. Distant metastasis during the follow-up occurred more frequently in patients with CD44-high SCCs than those with CD44-low SCCs. The 5-year DFS was significantly lower in the former than in the latter.

Keywords::

• Immunohistochemistry
• progression
• TNM
• distant metastasis
• disease-free survival
• marker

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge Ms Michiko Kakihana and Ms Mio Ohkabe of the Department of Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine for their technical and secretarial assistance. This study was supported in part by a Hitec Research Center Grant from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, Culture, and Technology of Japan.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.