Molecular signatures of metastasis in head and neck cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Metastases are the primary cause of cancer treatment failure and death, yet metastatic mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

Methods

We studied the molecular basis of head and neck cancer metastasis by transcriptionally profiling 70 samples from 27 patients-matching normal adjacent tissue, primary tumor, and cervical lymph node metastases.

Results

We identified tumor-associated expression signatures common to both primary tumors and metastases. Use of matching metastases revealed an additional 46 dysregulated genes associated solely with head and neck cancer metastasis. However, despite being metastasis-specific in our sample set, these 46 genes are concordant with genes previously discovered in primary tumors that metastasized.

Conclusions

Alth

SUBMITTER: Colella S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4136479 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature