Expression profiles and clinical correlations of degradome components in the tumor microenvironment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are characterized by high morbidity and mortality, largely due to the high invasive and metastatic potential of these tumors, high recurrence rates, and low treatment responses. Proteinases have been implicated in several aspects of tumor growth and metastasis in a broad range of tumors including HNSCC.

Experimental Design: Comprehensive expression profiling of proteinases [matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAMs), and ADAMs with thrombospondin motif (ADAMTSs)] and their inhibitors [tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs)] was done using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR analysis of a large cohort of tissue samples representing the tumor (n = 83), the invasive margin (n = 41), and the adjacent tissue (n = 41) from 83 HNSCC patients, along with normal tissue controls (n = 13), as well as cell lines established from tumors of 34 HNSCC patients.

Research tissue banking in otolaryngology: organization, methods and uses, with reference to practical, ethical and legal issues.

The field of molecular biology is an important part of research into neoplastic conditions. Much of this research requires access to human tissue samples, which may need to be collected and stored in a specific way, according to the type of study for which they are intended. Anonymous clinical information about the samples enables researchers to apply results to different patient groups.

Delay in referral of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma to secondary care correlates with a more advanced stage at presentation, and is associated with poorer survival.

Squamous carcinoma of the oropharynx presents with symptoms common to many benign diseases, and this can cause delay in referral to secondary care. We investigate delay in referral, defining this as the time from symptom-onset to date of general practitioners referral letter to secondary care, and the effect of that delay, using a retrospective case notes based study of patients presenting at our institution with oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma between 1995 and 2005. Using correlation analysis and ordinal regression, we examined the relationship between increased referral delay from primary care, clinical stage at presentation, and survival.