Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions staining is useful in predicting recurrence-free interval in oral tongue and floor of mouth squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) represent a tissue marker of cell proliferative activity. The purpose of this study was to assess the prognostic value of AgNORs expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

METHODS:

The AgNORs area/nucleus was studied in paraffin sections by means of digital image analysis in 43 cases of stage II oral tongue and floor of the mouth SCC.

RESULTS:

Time free of disease was considered a dependent variable of a binary indicator of AgNORs expression (7.77 microns2/nucleus as a cut-off point). High AgNORs level was associated with a statistically significant negative effect on recurrence-free interval of disease in a Cox proportional hazards models controlled for occult lymph node metastasis, involvement of the surgical margins, thickness of the lesion, and vascular invasion.

CONCLUSIONS:

The AgNORs area increased the capability of predicting which patients have a high risk of recurrence of cancer, and its evaluation may provide useful information for the therapeutic approach to the oral tongue and floor of the mouth SCC.

• Authors: G Teixeira, L Antonangelo, L Kowalski, P Saldiva, A Ferraz, G Silva Filho
• Journal: American journal of surgery (Am J Surg) Vol. 172 Issue 6 Pg. 684-8 (Dec 1996) ISSN: 0002-9610 [Print] United States
• PMID: 8988678 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Analysis of Variance
• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (pathology, ultrastructure)
• Female
• Histocytochemistry
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Mouth Neoplasms (pathology, ultrastructure)
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local (pathology, ultrastructure)
• Nucleolus Organizer Region (ultrastructure)
• Prognosis
• Proportional Hazards Models
• Silver Staining
• Tongue Neoplasms (pathology, ultrastructure)