The clinicopathological significance of bcl-2 expression in the surgical treatment of laryngeal carcinoma

Bcl‐2 expression was studied by immunohistochemistry on laryngectomy specimens from 176 patients. Of the 176 tumours, 11% had positive bcl‐2 staining. Bcl‐2 expression was significantly correlated with tumour grade: 5% of well‐differentiated tumours, 12% of moderately‐differentiated tumours and 23% of poorly‐differentiated tumours had positive expression of bcl‐2. Nodal metastases were also found to be significantly related to bcl‐2 expression: 36% of nodal metastases for negative bcl‐2 expression compared with 70% for positive expression. The risk of nodal metastases increased significantly with the presence of bcl‐2 expression, moderate or poor differentiation and supraglottic involvement. The risk of nodal metastases increased significantly with the presence of increasing numbers of risk factors: 11% without risk factor, 21% with one risk factor, 49% with two risk factors and 77% with three risk factors. Bcl‐2 expression in laryngeal carcinoma is significantly correlated with tumour grade and nodal metastases. It has added prognostic value for nodal metastases together with tumour grade and site of tumour involvement.