The clinicopathological significance of bcl-2 expression in the surgical treatment of laryngeal carcinoma

Bcl-2 expression was studied by immunohistochemistry on laryngectomy specim ens from 176 patients. Of the 176 tumours, 11% had positive bcl-2 staining. Bcl-2 expression was significantly correlated with tumour grade: 5% of wel l-differentiated tumours, 12% of moderately-differentiated tumours and 23% of poorly-differentiated rumours had positive expression of bcl-2. Nodal me tastases were also found to be significantly related to bcl-2 expression: 3 6% of nodal metastases for negative bcl-2 expression compared with 70% for positive expression. The risk of nodal metastases increased significantly w ith the presence of bcl-2 expression, moderate or poor differentiation and supraglottic involvement. The risk of nodal metastases increased significan tly with the presence of increasing numbers of risk factors: 11% without ri sk factor, 21% with one risk factor, 49% with two risk factors and 77% with three risk factors. Bcl-2 expression in laryngeal carcinoma is significant ly correlated with tumour grade and nodal metastases. It has added prognost ic value for nodal metastases together with tumour grade and site of tumour involvement.