Genetic Imbalances with Impact on Survival in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Chromosomal imbalances in 113 primary head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) determined by comparative genomic hybridization were correlated with patients survival using custom-made computer software which enabled the assessment of individual chromosomal loci. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that overrepresentations of 2q12, 3q21-29, 6p21.1, 11q13, 14q23, 14q24, 14q31, 14q32, 15q24, 16q22, and deletions of 8p21-22 and 18q11.2 were significantly associated with both shorter disease-free interval and disease-specific survival in this tumor collective. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models consistently identified the gains of 3q21-29, 11q13, and the loss of 8p21-22 as independent prognostic markers carrying a higher significance than the nodal status as the only clinicopathological parameter with statistical importance. In addition, these three markers allowed a molecular dissection of the patients with low clinical risk (pN0 and pT2 tumors). Thus, the genomic data being derived from the evaluation of primary HNSCC enabled a stratification of the patients into subgroups with different survival highlighting the necessity of a genetically based tumor classification for refining diagnosis and treatment of HNSCC patients.