P53 Expression and Polysomies of Chromosome 9, 17 in Head and Neck Cancer Prognosis
NA V APUN CHARURUKS, M.D.*, NARIN VORAVUD, M.D.***, WAUN KI HONG, M.D.**, DONG M SHIN, M.D.**, JAE Y RO, M.D. Ph.D.****, WALTER N HITTELMAN,Ph.D.*****
Affiliation : * Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok I 0330, ** Department ofThoracid/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas, *** Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand. **** Department of Pathology, The University of Texas, ***** Department of Clinical Investigation, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. U.S.A.
Sixty-nine cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were examined by immuno-
histochemistry for p53 and chromosome in situ hybridization for chromosome 9 and 17 to deter-
mine the relationship between p53 expression and polysomies of chromosome 9 and 17 with the
development of a second primary tumor as well as recurrence of primary tumor of head and neck
squamous cell carcinoma. We found early expression of p53 in the normal and premaligant lesions
adjacent to tumor which was associated with a gradual increase in the fraction of positive nuclei as
well as numbers of cancer. We also found statistically significant increments of polysomies of
chromosome 9 and 17 in terms of the polysomy index seen through the histologic changes occuring
during multistep tumorigenesis. Our results could not demonstrate statistically significant correla-
tion between p53 expression and PI 9 and 17 in tumorigenesis. Interestingly, however, there was a
strong correlation between p53 expression and second primary tumor as well as recurrence of pri-
mary tumor. The p53 expressed group had a seven fold increased incidence in developing second
primary tumor and a two and a half times increased incidence for recurrence of primary tumor,
compared to the non-expressed group.
We conclude that p53 expression and polysomies of chromosome 9 and 17 have an
important role in multistep tumorigenesis in HNSCC. There was no significant correlation between
p53 expression and polysomies of chromosome 9 and 17. However, the expression of p53 was sta-
tistically significant for association with second primary tumor and recurrence of primary tumor
of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Keywords : P53 Expression, Polysomies of Chromosome 9 and 17, Poor Prognosis, Head and Neck Cancer
