Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in young adults – a preliminary assessment of genetic factor

Abstract

Aim

Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) aged less than 45 years are classed as young adults and in opinion of many authors compared to older (typical) patients appear more serious forms of the disease and often lack the classical risk factors associated with the illness. There is a need of an exact clinical analysis and a search for additional causative factors. The purpose of this study was to estimate the role of genetic factors in the aetiology of HNSCC in young adults.

Materials/Methods

Studies carried out on 44 patients estimated: 1) the degree of chromosomal instability (bleomycin test), 2) the degree of spontaneous and induced DNA damage and potential of DNA repair (comet assay) and 3) polymorphisms of selected genes of carcinogens metabolism and DNA repair (genotyping).

Results

The degree of chromosomal instability was a little lower in young adults group than in typical patients group, but the differences were not statistically significant. The level of spontaneous and induced DNA damage and it's removal by DNA repair were comparable in the groups of young adults and typical patients. Concerning genotyping we showed in the group of young adults a statistically significant more often co-occurrence of GSTM1(-) and NAT2*4/6A genotypes (p<0.05) and statistically significant lower frequency of allele CYP1A1*4 (p<0.02). Differences between the other risk genotypes and alleles (CYP1A1*4/*4, NAT2*4/*6A, XPD35931AA, NAT2*4) were not shown to be statistically significant.

Conclusions

The studies parameter revealed only a weak prevelancve of genetic predisposition to HNSCC in young adults.