Conclusion
Our results suggest that immunohistochemistry of CD44 and HIF1α may be useful in identification of patients with poor prognoses. These parameters could be used to select the optimal treatment modalities for stage I OSCC patients. Level of evidence: 2b.
Methods
CD44, HIF1α, and CLEVER-1 were immunohistochemically analyzed in paraffin-embedded tissue material of stage I OSCC patients treated at three Finnish university hospitals. Microscopy
Results
As in our pilot study, the CD44lowHIF1αhigh signature was associated with poorer disease-free survival. Clear correlations between CLEVER-1 expression and clinical outcome were not evident.