Clinical features and hypoxic marker expression of primary sinonasal and laryngeal small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: a small case series

• Published in: World journal of surgical oncology Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 199
• Main Authors: Chai, Liang, Ying, Hong-Fang, Wu, Ting-Ting, Zhou, Shui-Hong, Bao, Yang-Yang, Yao, Hong-Tian, You, Qi-Han
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 01.07.2014; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Aged; Biomarkers, Tumor - metabolism; Biotechnology; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine - metabolism; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine - secondary; Carcinoma, Small Cell - metabolism; Carcinoma, Small Cell - pathology; Care and treatment; Colleges & universities; Development and progression; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Genetic aspects; Glucose; Hospitals; Humans; Hypoxia; Hypoxia - diagnosis; Hypoxia - metabolism; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - metabolism; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Kinases; Laryngeal Neoplasms - metabolism; Laryngeal Neoplasms - pathology; Larynx; Lung cancer; Male; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - metabolism; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - pathology; Neoplasm Staging; NMR; Nose Neoplasms - metabolism; Nose Neoplasms - pathology; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Paraffin wax; Patient outcomes; Patients; Polyclonal antibodies; Prognosis; Proteins; Risk factors; Rodents; Surgery; Tumors; China
• ISSN: 1477-7819; 1477-7819
• DOI: 10.1186/1477-7819-12-199

Small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) of the head and neck is rare. The prognosis of SCNEC in the nasal cavity and larynx is poor. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological features of nasal and laryngeal SCNEC and to determine the expression of HIF-1α, GLUT-1, PI3K, and p-Akt in SCNEC. Between 2003 and 2012, 10 consecutive patients with histologically demonstrated nasal and laryngeal SCNEC were enrolled. Clinicopathological materials and follow-up data were analyzed retrospectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect GLUT-1, HIF-1α, PI3K, and p-Akt expression in paraffin wax-embedded tumor specimens. The subjects were eight males and two females with a mean age of 60.8 (range: 53 to 71) years. Tumors were located in the maxillary sinus (n = 3) and larynx (n = 7). At last follow-up, four patients (40.0%) had local recurrence and five patients (50.0%) had developed distant metastases. Six patients died. The mean overall survival was 19.3 ± 2.1 months. Expression of GLUT-1, HIF-1α, PI3K, and p-Akt was seen in sinonasal and laryngeal SCNEC in 80 (8 out of 10), 50 (5 out of 10), 40 (4 out of 10), and 40% (4 out of 10) of cases, respectively. Expression of GLUT-1, HIF-1α, PI3K, and p-Akt was higher in sinonasal and laryngeal SCNEC than in precancerous lesions. Primary sinonasal and laryngeal SCNEC is rare. This paper presents 10 cases of sinonasal and laryngeal SCNEC with more common local recurrence and distant metastasis. HIF-1α, GLUT-1, PI3K, and p-Akt expression was higher in sinonasal and laryngeal SCNEC than in precancerous lesions.