Prognostic value of pretreatment CD44 mRNA in peripheral blood of patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer

This study investigates the clinical significance of CD44 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the peripheral blood of patients with head and neck cancer. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to quantify CD44 mRNA levels in the peripheral blood of patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer. All patients were enrolled between January 2006 and December 2008 and had received chemotherapy/radiotherapy for their head and neck cancers. The pretreatment CD44 mRNA levels at a cutoff point of greater than fivefold were associated with an odds ratio of 12.5 for poor prognosis (95% CI, 3.9-40; p < 0.001) and could predict poor treatment response in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers. Larger prospective studies comparing the current assay with standardized methodologies are warranted.