Estrogen and Progesterone hormone receptor expression in oral cavity cancer

Abstract

BackgroundRecent studies have shown an increase in the incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in younger patients. The hypothesis that tumors could be hormonally induced during pregnancy or in young female patients without the well-known risk factors alcohol or tobacco abuse seems to be plausible.Material and MethodsEstrogen Receptor alpha (ERα) and Progesterone Receptor (PR) expression were analyzed in normal oral mucosa (n=5), oral precursor lesions (simple hyperplasia, n=11; squamous intraepithelial neoplasia, SIN I-III, n=35), and OSCC specimen. OSCCs were stratified in a young female (n=7) study cohort and older patients (n=46). In the young female study cohort three patients (n=3/7) developed OSCC during or shortly after pregnancy. Breast cancer tissues were used as positive control for ERα and PR expression.ResultsERα expression was found in four oral precursor lesions (squamous intraepithelial neoplasia, SIN I-III, n=4/35, 11%) and in five OSCC specimen (n=5/46, 11%). The five ERα positive OSCC samples were older male patients. All patients within the young female study cohort were negatively stained for both ERα and PR.ConclusionsER expression could be regarded as a seldom risk factor for OSCC. PR expression seems to be not relevant for the development of OSCC. Key words:Oral squamous cell carcinoma, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, hormone receptor.

Association of Estrogen Receptor Alpha Expression With Survival in Oropharyngeal Cancer Following Chemoradiation Therapy

“…To our knowledge, this is the first report of ERa expression being associated with improved outcomes in a head and neck cancer population. Despite extensive study in cervical and breast cancer (9,27,31,32,(38)(39)(40)(41), ERa has received little attention in head and neck cancer (30,(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48). Early studies failed to identify clinically significant quantities of estrogen receptor in HNSC (42), perhaps because those studies predated the increased incidence of HPV-positive disease, which we have shown is highly related to ERa expression.…”

“…Early studies failed to identify clinically significant quantities of estrogen receptor in HNSC (42), perhaps because those studies predated the increased incidence of HPV-positive disease, which we have shown is highly related to ERa expression. Although ERa has been identified previously in HNSC specimens with a wide range of reported incidence [10%-76% in laryngeal cancer (44)(45)(46); 11%-50% in oral cavity cancer (43,47,48)], it has not been described as a biomarker for HNSC outcomes (30,43).…”

Multi-Region Sequence Analysis of a Pregnancy-Related Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Exhibiting Low-Level Aggressive Behavior

“…PRs in head and neck epithelial cells (with the exception of melanomas). Grimm et al, 37 in their in vivo survey, detected positive ER expression in 5/46 (11%) OSCC specimens, but the 5 ER-positive OSCC samples were all from older male patients, whereas all young female patients were negative for ER and PR.…”

“…15 Alternatively, different authors have hypothesized that the rapid growth of an OSCC in pregnancy could be induced by altered expression of ERs and PRs, although controversial results have been reported regarding this possibility. 15,20,[37][38][39] Chang et al 38 and Lukits et al 39 reported that 43% and 50% of studied OSCCs, respectively, exhibited the presence of ERs in human tongue OSCC cell lines. In contrast, Atabo and Bradley 15 reported the total absence of ERs or Figure 5.…”

Expression of hormone receptors in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

“…In our cohort, 27% of the tumors expressed PR. A study by Grimm et al [37] found no expression of PR Fig. 1 Immunohistochemical staining pattern of AR, PR, and ERbeta receptors in oropharyngeal carcinoma.…”