PURPOSE: The inducible enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzes PGE(2) production and plays an important role in the progression of many solid cancers. However, the role of COX-2 expression in cervical lymph node metastases of head and neck cancer has not been clarified yet. PATIENT AND METHODS: We comment on a male patient aged 53 who was admitted to an ENT-department with acute bleeding from an advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma and a frontotemporal mass. Prior to palliative intended radiotherapy, the metastasis was resected. During the procedure, a small amount of tumor tissue was harvested for primary tumor cell culture. RESULTS: COX-2 overexpression was demonstrated in the primary tumor tissue, the metastasis, in the cultured tumor cells by standard immunohistochemistry, as well as cytochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: A simultaneous expression of COX-2 in head and neck carcinoma was presented for the first time. Besides the prognostic impact in oral carcinogenesis, this COX-2 role of biomarker for aggressive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas should be further evaluated. Additionally, treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinomas with selective COX-2 inhibitors could be beneficial when administered in combination with radiochemotherapy.
PURPOSE: The inducible enzyme cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) catalyzes PGE(2) production and plays an important role in the progression of many solid cancers. However, the role of COX-2 expression in cervical lymph node metastases of head and neck cancer has not been clarified yet. PATIENT AND METHODS: We comment on a male patient aged 53 who was admitted to an ENT-department with acute bleeding from an advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma and a frontotemporal mass. Prior to palliative intended radiotherapy, the metastasis was resected. During the procedure, a small amount of tumor tissue was harvested for primary tumor cell culture. RESULTS:COX-2 overexpression was demonstrated in the primary tumor tissue, the metastasis, in the cultured tumor cells by standard immunohistochemistry, as well as cytochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: A simultaneous expression of COX-2 in head and neck carcinoma was presented for the first time. Besides the prognostic impact in oral carcinogenesis, this COX-2 role of biomarker for aggressive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas should be further evaluated. Additionally, treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinomas with selective COX-2 inhibitors could be beneficial when administered in combination with radiochemotherapy.
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