Expression of MAGE 3 Gene Product in Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Head and Neck / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: MAGE 3 gene may constitute a potential target for cancer immunotherapy since it is expressed in a variety of cancers but not in normal tissues except the testis. In this study, expression and intracellular location of MAGE 3 gene products were investigated using squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MAGE 3 protein expression was screened in 40 squamous cell carcinomas, 2 tumor lines, 20 benign diseases, and 20 normal tissues of the head and neck. Immunohistochemical staining with anti-MAGE 3 mAb 57B was conducted from fresh frozen specimens. A correlation between MAGE 3 expression and clinicopathological parameters was also evaluated. RESULTS: MAGE 3 gene product was detected in squamous cell carcinomas (18/40, 45%) and in tumor lines (2/2, 100%), but not in benign diseases and normal tissues. MAGE 3 gene product was identified as a cytoplasmic protein of cancer cells without staining in normal epithelia and stromal tissues coexisting adjacent to cancer cells. No significant correlation between MAGE 3 expression and clinicopathological parameters including tumor cell differentiation, age, gender, primary site, tumor stage, and metastasis was drawn. CONCLUSIONS: MAGE 3 antigen could represent a potential target for immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas.

Analysis of Treatment in the Patients with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma of the Head and Neck / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND: The patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL) of the head and neck was treated with radiotherapy traditionally, but the results were not satisfactory. Although chemotherapy or combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy was tried recently, prognostic factors and treatment of choice has not been described yet. OBJECTIVES: We performed this study to investigate the prognostic factors of NHL and the differences of treatment outcomes among chemotherapy, radiotherapy and combined therapy for NHL of the head and neck. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The subjects are 50 patients with NHL localized in the head and neck, who were treated at Kosin University Gospel Hospital from January 1988 to January 1996. We analyzed clinical datas retrospectively. RESULTS: Five year overall survival rate was 41% in the patients whose primary lesion was Waldeyer's ring and 78.3% in patients who present with primary lesion in cervical node(p<0.05). Five year overall survival rate of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and combined therapy was 50.8%, 20%, 77% respectively(statistically not significant). These results suggest that location of primary site, pathologic type and response rate to treatment may be significant prognostic factors on univariate analysis(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy are more effective for the patients with NHL presenting in the head and neck.