Electrocochleography Results in Patients With Bilateral Vestibular Paresis and Sound- or Pressure-Induced Horizontal Nystagmus.

Objective: To describe the electrocochleography (ECochG) findings in patients with bilateral vestibular paresis and sound- and/or pressure-induced horizontal nystagmus.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Tertiary care center.

IGSF4 methylation as an independent marker of human papillomavirus-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Importance: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a known causative agent for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Whereas it is becoming more firmly established that HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is associated with better survival outcomes, believed to be because of better response to chemoradiation therapy, the specific mechanisms for these improved survival outcomes remain underexplored.

Objective: To examine the relationship between HPV status and promoter methylation in an OPSCC cohort.

Significance of p16 in Site-specific HPV Positive and HPV Negative Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Expression of p16 (p16 positive) is highly correlated with human papilloma virus (HPV) infection in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), however, p16-positivity is not limited to HPV positive tumors and therefore, not a perfect surrogate for HPV. p16 survival outcomes are best documented for the oropharyngeal site (OP); non-OP sites such as the oral cavity (OC), larynx, and hypopharynx (HP) are understudied. The goal of this study was to evaluate p16 in the context of HPV16 and examine p16 survival outcomes in HPV16 positive and HPV16 negative site-specific HNSCC.

Improved survival with HPV among African Americans with oropharyngeal cancer.

Purpose: A major limitation of studies reporting a lower prevalence rate of human papilloma virus (HPV) in African American patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC) than Caucasian Americans, with corresponding worse outcomes, was adequate representation of HPV-positive African American patients. This study examined survival outcomes in HPV-positive and HPV-negative African Americans with OPSCC.

Experimental Design: The study cohort of 121 patients with primary OPSCC had 42% African Americans.

Distinct Gene Profiles for Tumor and Non-Tumor Tissue in the Head and Neck: An Analytical Approach.

In a study of genetic alterations, the Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) assay was used to measure gain or loss of 113 gene-probes in tumor and non-tumor tissue samples collected from each of the 220 patients with squamous head and neck cancer (HNSCC). Conditional and marginal models were available; both models account for correlated data but have different aspects. The conditional logistic regression model was proposed to estimate the subject-specific risk of tumor based on the paired tumor and non-tumor data collection, which was in contrast with the marginal model to estimate population-average risk.

Malignant and nonmalignant gene signatures in squamous head and neck cancer.

Genetic events specific to the pathogenesis of malignancy can offer clues to the tumorigenesis process. The objective of this study was to identify gene alterations that differentiate tumor and nontumor lesions in squamous head and neck cancer (HNSCC). DNA from 220 primary HNSCC with concurrently present tumor and nontumor lesions from the same patient was interrogated for genomic alterations of loss or gain of copy.

Disparate molecular, histopathology, and clinical factors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma racial groups.

Objective: There is a lack of consensus regarding the causes of the differences in the higher incidence of and the mortality from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) in African Americans (AA) versus Caucasian Americans (CA). We examined a comprehensive array of risk factors influencing health and disease in an access-to-care, racially diverse, primary HNSCC cohort.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Delineating an epigenetic continuum in head and neck cancer.

A tissue field of somatic genetic alterations precedes the histopathological phenotypic changes of carcinoma. Genomic changes could be of potential use in the diagnosis and prognosis of pre-invasive squamous head and neck carcinoma (HNSCC) lesions and as markers for cancer risk assessment. Studies of sequential molecular alterations and genetic progression of pre-invasive HNSCC have not been clearly defined.

Promoter methylation in head and neck tumorigenesis.

In addition to genetic alterations of gains and losses, epigenetic events of promoter methylation appear to further undermine a destabilized genomic repertoire in squamous head and neck carcinoma (HNSCC). This chapter provides an overview of frequently methylated tumor suppressor genes in benign head and neck papillomas, primary HNSCC tumors, and HNSCC cell lines and their relevance as epigenetic markers in head and neck tumorigenesis.

Human papillomavirus outcomes in an access-to-care laryngeal cancer cohort.

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV16, is a causative agent for 25% of head and neck squamous cell cancer, including laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC). HPV-positive (HPV+ve) patients, particularly those with oropharyngeal SCC, have improved prognosis. For LSCC patients, this remains to be established.

DNA hypermethylation markers of poor outcome in laryngeal cancer.

This study examined molecular (DNA hypermethylation), clinical, histopathological, demographical, smoking, and alcohol variables to assess diagnosis (early versus late stage) and prognosis (survival) outcomes in a retrospective primary laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) cohort. The study cohort of 79 primary LSCC was drawn from a multi-ethnic (37% African American), primary care patient population, diagnosed by surgical biopsies in the Henry Ford Health System from 1991-2004, and followed from 5-18 years (through 2009). Of the 41 variables, univariate risk factors of p<0.

Molecular characterization of late stomal recurrence following total laryngectomy.

The goal was to determine recurrent or second primary status for late stomal malignancies, 16 and 17 years post-total laryngectomy in two laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) patients, based on DNA methylation signatures and HPV typing. Adopting a literature review based definition of late stomal recurrences as new primaries at the site of the stoma or neopharynx occurring >5 years after total laryngectomy, we employed a multi-gene candidate approach to examine promoter methylation in 24 tumor suppressor genes and PCR-based assays for HPV status offered additional insights into whether the late stomal tumors post-total laryngectomy were related or not. The primary tumor for Patient 1 was negative for HPV but had aberrant hypermethylation of APC, MLH1 and BRCA1.

Novel approaches to global mining of aberrantly methylated promoter sites in squamous head and neck cancer.

Objective: Promoter hypermethylation is emerging as a promising molecular strategy for early detection of cancer. We examined promoter methylation status of 1143 cancer-associated genes to perform a global but unbiased inspection of methylated regions in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Study Design: Laboratory-based study.