Genetic factors suggest grade of head and neck cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study shows that genetic factors are associated with the prognosis for smoking-related head and neck cancer.
Head and neck cancer is slowly declining and there has also been an improvement in five year survival rates. Even, so it is a clinical challenge because half of those with head and neck cancer still die of the disease. Smoking is a known risk factor. Now researchers at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation show the importance of genetic factors as well.

They looked at tissue from 122 patients with smoking-related head and neck cancer. Analysis showed five specific genomic alterations in some of these cases. These genetic factors were linked with the aggressiveness of the tumor including tumor size and whether the cancer had spread. Two of these genetic factors were associated with the staging of the disease and could help predict the clinical outcome. The researchers say that more work is needed to identify these genetic factors but they could form the basis for biomarker tests which could be used to make more accurate prognoses in head and neck cancer.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 10th January 2007 Volume 297 pages 187-195

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