Cyclin D1 amplification correlates with early recurrence of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue

Amplification of CCND1 was studied in 23 tongue carcinoma patients by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using a paraffin embedded specimen. All the patients received complete resection of the primary site with or without neck dissection. CCND1 amplification was positive in 13 (56.5%) out of 23 cases. Correlations between CCND1 amplification and histological grading, T category, N category, and Stages were not significant. The 5-year disease-free survival rate, which was 23.1% for CCND1 amplification positive patients and 80.0% for negative patients, was significantly better for the CCND1 amplification negative patients (P=0.0070). Nine patients were examined by dual-color FISH with the probe for centromere of chromosome 11 and 11q13. In five patients, who had positive amplification for CCND1, cell numbers with a larger number of signals for 11q13 than the centromere of chromosome 11 were significantly higher than those of CCND1 amplification negative patients (P=0.013). This indicates that amplification of 11q13 occurs more frequently than aberration of chromosome 11 in CCND1 amplification positive patients. From these results, the amplification of CCND1 is a key factor in predicting the aggressiveness of tongue cancer. Furthermore, FISH proved to be a useful method for such evaluation.