Background: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and cortactin overexpression is frequently detected in a variety of cancers, and has been associated with poor clinical outcome. However, there are no data in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC).
Objective: To investigate the relationship of FAK and cortactin expression with the clinicopathologic features and the impact on the prognosis of cSCC patients.
Methods: FAK and cortactin expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 100 patients with cSCC, and correlated with the clinical data.
Results: FAK overexpression was a significant risk factor for nodal metastasis with crude and adjusted ratios (HRs) of 2.04, (95% CI [1.08-3.86], [P = 0.029]) and 2.23 (95% CI [1.01-4.91], [P = 0.047]), respectively. Cortactin expression was not a significant risk factor for nodal metastasis.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that FAK overexpression is an independent predictor of nodal metastasis that might be helpful for risk stratification and management of patients with cSCC.
Keywords: cortactin; cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; focal adhesion kinase; nodal metastasis; prognosis.
© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.