Amplification of the 3q26.3 locus is associated with progression to invasive cancer and is a negative prognostic factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas Journal Article


Authors: Singh, B.; Stoffel, A.; Gogineni, S.; Poluri, A.; Pfister, D. G.; Shaha, A. R.; Pathak, A.; Bosl, G.; Cordon-Cardo, C.; Shah, J. P.; Rao, P. H.
Article Title: Amplification of the 3q26.3 locus is associated with progression to invasive cancer and is a negative prognostic factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas
Abstract: Amplification of the 3q26-q27 has a high prevalence in squamous cell carcinomas of mucosal origin, including those originating in the head and neck region. To elucidate its role as a prognostic tool in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, a yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) contig spanning the entire 3q26-27 region was constructed. The minimal region of amplification was refined within a 1- to 2-Mb genomic segment contained within three overlapping, nonchimeric YAC clones using sequential fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis. These YAC clones containing the apex of amplification were used to develop a two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization assay and applied to the detection of 3q copy numbers in interphase nuclei on archival tumor tissue from 29 cases of normal mucosa, 20 of premalignant mucosa, and 50 of invasive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. The presence of 3q amplification increased from 3% in normal mucosa to 25% in premalignant mucosa and 56% in invasive cancers (P < 0.01). In invasive tumors, low-level 3q amplification (3 to 4 X copy number) was identified in 18 of 50 primary head and neck cancers and high-level amplification (>4 X copy number) in 10 of 50 cases. With a median follow-up of 82.5 months, an increasing proportion of recurrences (32%, 72%, and 90%; P = 0.003) and cancer-related deaths (14%, 44%, and 70%; P = 0.006) were seen in patients with normal 3q copy number, low-level amplification, and high-level amplification, respectively. The 3-year disease-free (69%, 56%, and 10%; P = 0.001) and cause-specific (94%, 83%, and 40%; P = 0.01) survivals also decreased from normal copy number to low-level and high-level amplification. Only high-level amplification at 3q remained a significant prognostic variable on multivariate analysis including common prognostic predictors for both disease-free (relative risk, 5.1; 95% confidence interval = 1.9 to 13.9) and cause-specific survival (relative risk, 7.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.9 to 29.6). The findings suggest that the 3q copy number status is an important marker for tumor progression and prognostication in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Keywords: adult; cancer survival; clinical article; human tissue; aged; middle aged; survival analysis; cancer surgery; cancer recurrence; squamous cell carcinoma; carcinoma, squamous cell; cancer growth; disease marker; cancer radiotherapy; follow up; gene amplification; tumor markers, biological; gene locus; risk assessment; cause of death; cancer regression; fluorescence in situ hybridization; head and neck cancer; head and neck neoplasms; genome; neoplasm invasiveness; chromosomes, human, pair 3; cloning; yeast artificial chromosome; interphase; humans; prognosis; human; male; female; priority journal; article
Journal Title: American Journal of Pathology
Volume: 161
Issue: 2
ISSN: 0002-9440
Publisher: Elsevier Science, Inc.  
Date Published: 2002-08-01
Start Page: 365
End Page: 371
Language: English
PUBMED: 12163360
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC1850746
DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9440(10)64191-0
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 14 November 2014 -- Source: Scopus
Altmetric
Citation Impact
BMJ Impact Analytics
MSK Authors
  1. Ashok R Shaha
    698 Shaha
  2. Bhuvanesh Singh
    242 Singh
  3. David G Pfister
    389 Pfister
  4. Jatin P Shah
    722 Shah
  5. George Bosl
    430 Bosl