NEOPTERIN AS A PROGNOSTIC PARAMETER IN PATIENTS WITH SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMAS OF THE ORAL CAVITY

Concentrations of neopterin, which is produced by human monocytes/macr ophages upon stimulation by interferon-gamma, were measured in urine s pecimens in 23 patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the oral cavit y at diagnosis and in 12 treated patients with the same disease when r ecurrence of the tumor was recognized. Tumor histology and routine lab oratory parameters were concomitantly determined. Urinary neopterin va lues showed no statistically significant correlation with tumor differ entiation, tumor size or patient age, but they were significantly high er in patients with a recurrent tumor. Patients were followed for up t o 4 years, and the ability of all variables to predict fatal outcome w as assessed, In univariate analysis, only neopterin (p = 0.01) and the variable recurrent vs. first-diagnosed tumor were significant predict ors of survival, In multivariate analysis, a combination of neopterin (p < 0.01) and the variable recurrent vs, first-diagnosed tumor (p = 0 .06) was found to jointly predict survival. Thus, urinary neopterin co ncentrations provide valuable prognostic information in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. Int J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol .) 79:476-480, 1998, (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.