DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZER REGIONS IN SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMAS OF THE MAXILLARY SINUS

The clinicopathological implications of nucleolar organizer regions (N ORs) were assessed in 25 squamous-cell carcinomas arising in the maxil lary sinuses. NORs in the carcinoma tissue were stained with silver co lloid and counted. As the histological differentiation of the tumors d ecreased, the mean AgNOR number rose significantly. The mean AgNOR num ber in T-4 cancers was higher than that in T-2 and T-3 cancers, and th e difference between T-3 and T-4 categories was significant. On the ot her hand, there were no significant differences in the AgNOR number be tween tumors of patients with and without recurrence after therapy, be tween those with different clinical stages or between those with good or poor response to treatment. Moreover, there was no significant diff erence in survival rates between patients with low and high AgNOR coun ts. These studies indicate that, in the collective examined, the AgNOR staining method was of no prognostic value for patients with squamous -cell carcinomas of the maxillary sinus.