Correlation of neural cell adhesion molecules with perineural spread of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Perineural spread (PNS) is a poor prognostic factor associated with increas ed risk of local recurrence and nodal metastasis and reduced survival of pa tients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). There is some evidence to indicate that neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs) may p lay a role in PNS of a variety of tumor types. We performed this study to i nvestigate whether NCAM expression can be used as a predictor of PNS in SCC HN. The surgical specimens of 66 patients with SCCHN were evaluated with mo noclonal IgG antibody immunoperoxidase staining for NCAM. Of the 41 specime ns with PNS, 38 (93%) showed evidence of NCAM expression. In contrast, only 9 specimens (36%) without PNS expressed NCAMs. The difference in NCAM expr ession between the study and control groups was statistically significant ( P < 0.01).