Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (
ALCAM/CD166) is expressed in a number of
malignancies (e.g. prostate, breast,
squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, lung and head and neck
tumors). Based on studies in which
ALCAM showed prognostic relevance in several
carcinomas, it has been discussed as a potential therapeutic target. We evaluate its expression in
head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs). A tissue microarray was constructed from more than 400 HNSCCs. Slides were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for
ALCAM. Membranous and cytoplasmic
ALCAM positivity were rated separately. The
tumors were combined into (a) cases with membranous staining and (b) cases with cytoplasmic staining, independently from membranous/cytoplasmic co-expression. We found staining in 70.3% of interpretable HNSCCs. Pure membranous staining was found in 12.4% of
tumors, with cytoplasmic positivity in 40.1% of cases, and membranous/cytoplasmic co-expression in 17.9%. No significant association between
ALCAM positivity and clinical parameters was found. No significant association between
ALCAM expression and survival data was observed for all
tumors. The frequent expression of
ALCAM (70.3%) in
head and neck squamous cell carcinomas does not support an important role for
HNSCC biology. The increased levels of
ALCAM suggest the existence of a therapeutic window for potential anti-
ALCAM therapies.