ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Well-known risk factors, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, easily denounce head and neck cancer patients as smokers, alcohol abusers, and persons who are socially excluded and have low socioeconomic status. To diagnose these patients as early as possible, we should not have a prejudiced assumption of their characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected detailed data on patient characteristics and health behavior and explored whether these traits had any effect on seeking medical advice in a population-based cross-sectional study involving 85 patients with head and neck cancer diagnosed between January 2003 and December 2007, residing in two health care districts (population 1,600,000) in Finland. The data were gathered from patient charts and questionnaires. The questionnaire data were compared with the general population in Finland. RESULTS: We found these patients to be ordinary elderly people whose demographic and social features resembled those of the general population. They smoked more often, but otherwise had a rather healthy lifestyle. Only half were aware that smoking and alcohol consumption were risk factors of head and neck cancer. In a multivariate analysis, fear of physicians (adjusted odds ratio 11.0; 95% confidence interval 1.2-103), medical-care-seeking for symptoms other than pain (18.5; 2.2-156), and not suspecting cancer (11.2; 1.7-75.1) were independent risk factors for delayed consultation (combined appraisal and help-seeking interval over 3 months). CONCLUSION: Head and neck cancer patients deviated from the same-aged general population only in excessive smoking. Fear of doctors, having no pain, and no suspicion of cancer resulted in delayed medical-care-seeking.
Subject(s)
Head and Neck Neoplasms/therapy , Patient Acceptance of Health Care , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Sectional Studies , Data Collection , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Population SurveillanceABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The role of p53 expression in human neoplasms is still controversial, and it has been associated with both favorable and unfavorable outcome of the patients. Also cytoplasmic expression of p53 protein has been reported to affect survival in some cancers. Furthermore, an association between p53 and beta-catenin expression has been demonstrated. We studied the expression of p53 in a large group of oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas and its relation to catenin expression, histologic differentiation, clinical data, and prognosis. METHODS: Primary tumors for analyses were obtained from 123 patients diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx or hypopharynx between 1975 and 1998 in Eastern Finland. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of p53 as well as alpha-, beta-, and gamma-catenins. RESULTS: In the primary tumors (n = 123), the nuclear p53 expression index was low in 42 (34%), intermediate in 38 (31%), and high in 43 (35%) cases. Cytoplasmic p53 expression was present in 56 (46%) and absent in 67 (54%) tumors. In univariate analyses (Kaplan-Meier), hypopharyngeal primary site (p =.02), high T class (p <.0005), presence of distant metastases (p =.02), low Karnofsky performance index (p <.0005), high nuclear p53 expression index (p =.01), and positive cytoplasmic p53 expression (p =.04) predicted poorer overall survival (OS). In Cox proportional hazards model, only T class (p =.0005), Karnofsky performance index (p =.005), and nuclear beta-catenin expression (p =.038) predicted poorer OS. CONCLUSION: Positive cytoplasmic p53 expression and nuclear p53 overexpression seem to relate to more aggressive features and unfavorable outcome in pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC). However, unlike more traditional variables, p53 expression is not an independent predictor of disease outcome in PSCC.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism , Cell Nucleus/metabolism , Cytoplasm/metabolism , Pharyngeal Neoplasms/metabolism , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/biosynthesis , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Cohort Studies , Cytoskeletal Proteins/biosynthesis , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Pharyngeal Neoplasms/pathology , Prognosis , Proportional Hazards Models , Retrospective Studies , Survival AnalysisABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and its relation to p53 expression, histologic differentiation, clinical data, and prognosis. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective survey. METHODS: Primary tumors for analyses were obtained from 118 patients diagnosed with SCC of the oropharynx or hypopharynx between 1975 and 1998 in eastern Finland. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to evaluate the expression of iNOS and p53. The expression pattern of iNOS was related to p53 expression, clinical data, and survival. RESULTS: High iNOS score was associated significantly with high nuclear p53 expression index (P = .006) and positive cytoplasmic p53 expression (P = .025). The score for iNOS expression was significantly lower in the largest (T4) tumors (P = .043). No association was seen between iNOS score and N or M class, tumor stage, or histologic differentiation. The score for iNOS expression was not related to overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: The expressions of iNOS and p53 seem to be inter-related in pharyngeal SCC, although the causality remains to be clarified. The expression of iNOS shows no prognostic value in pharyngeal SCC.
