HHS Public Access Author manuscript Author Manuscript
Cancer Prev Res (Phila). Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 June 01. Published in final edited form as: Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2016 June ; 9(6): 445–455. doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-15-0200.
Risk Stratification System for Oral Cancer Screening Lutécia H. Mateus Pereira1,*, Isildinha M. Reis2,3,*, Erika P. Reategui4, Claudia Gordon2, Sandra Saint-Victor4, Robert Duncan3, Carmen Gomez5, Stephanie Bayers6, Penelope Fisher4, Aymee Perez2, W. Jarrard Goodwin2,4, Jennifer J. Hu2,3, and Elizabeth J. Franzmann2,4 1Miami-Dade
College, Miami, FL, USA
Author Manuscript
2Sylvester
Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
3Department
of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
4Department
of Otolaryngology, University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami,
FL, USA 5Department
of Pathology, University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL,
USA 6MacNeal
Hospital, Berwyn, IL, USA
Author Manuscript
Abstract
Author Manuscript
Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer (oral cancer) is a deadly disease that is increasing in incidence. World-wide 5-year survival is only 50% due to delayed intervention with more than half of diagnoses at stage III and IV, whereas earlier detection (stage I and II) yields survival rates up to 80%–90%. Salivary soluble CD44 (CD44), a tumor-initiating marker, and total protein levels may facilitate oral cancer risk assessment and early intervention. This study used a hospital-based design with 150 cases and 150 frequency-matched controls to determine whether CD44 and total protein levels in oral rinses were associated with oral cancer independent of age, gender, race, ethnicity, tobacco and alcohol use, and socioeconomic status (SES). High-risk subjects receiving oral cancer prevention interventions as part of a community- based program (n=150) were followed over 1 year to determine marker specificity and variation. CD44 ≥5.33 ng/ml was highly associated with case status (adjusted OR 14.489, 95%CI: 5.973, 35.145; p