Global genetic differences in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Objectives/Hypothesis: The objectives are to determine the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in 22 patients in the United Kingdom with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and to compare our results with studies reported from western Europe and North America and highlight changes common to all groups, thus enabling focused study of important gene loci. Study Design: Prospective experimental, then comparative observational study. Methods: Comparative genomic hybridization was used to detect regions of chromosomal gain or loss across the entire genome. The aberration frequency was contrasted with other published series, and similarities and differences were highlighted. Results: The most common chromosomal gain in all studies was 3q (50% to 87%). Other common chromosomal gains varied considerably between centers. The most common loss was 3p in three of the studies; one group in the United States reported 19p loss most frequently. The frequency of other losses varied considerably. Conclusions: Comparative genomic hybridization has highlighted a number of common genetic events in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The prevalence of individual aberrations differed between centers. Further cooperative multicenter studies of this technique are warranted.