Relaxin-2 expression in temporal bone carcinoma

Abstract

Temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma (TBSCC) is an uncommon, aggressive malignancy with a significant local recurrence rate even in patients with postoperative pathology reports of free surgical margins. This raises the question of how "free" negative margins should be to be oncologically safe, especially in bone tissue. A potential role for relaxin-2 hormone in tumor-driven osteolysis has recently been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic role of relaxin-2 expression in TBSCC tissue specimens and pathologically negative bone margins. Relaxin-2 immunohistochemical expression was assessed in 25 consecutively operated TBSCC patients. Several pathological variables correlated with recurrence rate (pT stage, dura mater involvement), disease-free survival (DFS) (pT stage, pN status, grade, and dura mater involvement), and disease-specific survival (DSS) (pT stage, pN status, grade, and dura mater involvement). The recurrence rate, DFS, and DSS did not correlate with relaxin-2 expression in TBSCC specimens or pathologically negative bone margins. Although local recurrence in TBSCC could relate to neoplastic bone invasion not apparent on conventional pathological investigations, the present preliminary findings seem to rule out any role of relaxin-2 in mediating this local aggressiveness. Molecular mechanisms of TBSCC recurrence after curative treatment should be further investigated.

Management of Temporal Bone Malignancy in Ireland

“…Nodal stage has been shown to be predictive of survival. 15,20,28 This was not significant in our article, although that could be due to a limited number of cases (seven cases; 14.6%) demonstrating nodal positivity, similar to other research. 26 It has been noted that primary tumor extent is more strongly related to prognosis than nodal stage.…”

Relaxin and insulin‐like peptide 3 in the musculoskeletal system: from bench to bedside

“…The ‘anabolic’ and ‘catabolic’ effects of relaxin on bone metabolism probably depend on dose and timing of administration, and modulating RXFP1 receptor expression by bone cells would represent a key strategy favouring either bone formation, in the case of osteopenia or osteoporosis, or bone resorption, in the case of ectopic calcification or undesired abnormal bone deposition (Duarte et al , ). It should be noted that eventual treatment with relaxin should be considered with caution, because it has relatively recently emerged that relaxin signalling is involved in human cancers, in particular in mammary (Tashima et al , ), prostate (Feng et al , ; Vinall et al , ) and thyroid cancer (Hombach‐Klonisch et al , ; Bialek et al , ) and osteosarcomas (MA et al , ; Huang et al , ; Marioni et al , ). In this regard, relaxin is thought to be involved in metastatic tumour‐driven osteolysis, in which there is increased osteoclast activity.…”

Temporal bone carcinoma: Novel prognostic score based on clinical and histological features

“…4 The critical issue of the pathological negativity of the surgical margins was also addressed with approaches beyond conventional histology. 6,7 As regards the treatment of TBSCC, there are still differences in approach, even between tertiary referral centers with ample experience of the disease. The choice between en bloc and piecemeal surgery for primary tumor removal is a major point of controversy.…”