Prognostic significance of Polo-like Kinase (PLK) expression in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 59; no. 12; pp. 2794 - 2797
• Main Authors: KNECHT, R, ELEZ, R, OECHLER, M, SOLBACH, C, VON ILBERG, C, STREBHARDT, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 15.06.1999
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - biosynthesis; Biomarkers, Tumor - genetics; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - enzymology; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - mortality; Cell Cycle Proteins; Female; Head and Neck Neoplasms - enzymology; Head and Neck Neoplasms - metabolism; Head and Neck Neoplasms - mortality; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Otorhinolaryngology (head neck, general aspects and miscellaneous); Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Polo-Like Kinase 1; Prognosis; Protein Kinases - biosynthesis; Protein Kinases - genetics; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Survival Rate; Tumors; Human; Squamous cell carcinoma; Prognosis; Enzyme; Gene product; Transferases; Tumoral tissue; Tumoral marker; Malignant tumor; Gene expression; Survival; Kinase; Head and neck; ENT disease; Predictive factor
• ISSN: 0008-5472

Previously, we demonstrated that the mammalian polo-like kinase (PLK), which participates in the regulation of the cell cycle, is a novel marker of cellular proliferation. Because current prognostic tools for the evaluation of patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) need to be improved, we analyzed 89 patients and found elevated PLK expression in most tumors. Nodal stage as a crucial prognostic factor in HNSCC also correlated to PLK transcript levels (P = 0.0043). A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that HNSCC patients with moderate versus high PLK expression survived significantly longer (5-year survival rates, 43% versus 12%; P = 0.0047). Interestingly, a combination of nodal stage and PLK expression contributed to discriminate patients with a better prognosis in the pN(0/1) and pN(2/3) groups, which could improve the definition of a suitable therapy.