Open AccessMicrosatellite instability in double cancers of the esophagus and head and neck
Author(s) -
Hiroshi Miyazato,
Shuji Tomita,
Osamu Tamai,
Tsutomu Isa,
Masayuki Shiraishi,
Toshiomi Kusano,
Yoshihiro Muto,
S Koja
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
diseases of the esophagus
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.115
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-2050
pISSN - 1120-8694
DOI - 10.1046/j.1442-2050.1999.00028.x
Subject(s) - microsatellite instability , esophagus , medicine , head and neck cancer , head and neck , carcinogenesis , cancer , microsatellite , concomitant , carcinoma , esophageal cancer , oncology , surgery , biology , genetics , allele , gene
It is generally accepted that patients with squamous cancers of the esophagus are known to have a high risk of concomitant head and neck cancer. However, there have been only a few reports describing microsatellite instability (MSI) in patients with both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and head and neck cancers. To evaluate the role of genetic instability in carcinogenesis in such patients, we analyzed six microsatellite loci in 21 tumors from 10 patients who had developed primary cancers of both the esophagus and the head and neck. MSI was detected in 6 out of 10 patients. In five patients with double cancer, MSI was observed at the same microsatellite loci in both the esophageal and the head and neck tumors obtained from the same individuals. These data suggest that such patients may have the same underlying defect in the mismatch repair system, providing insight into possible mechanisms for field carcinogenesis.