OBJECTIVE

Intestinal-type sinonasal adenocarcinomas (ITACs) are rare epithelial tumours, primarily originating in the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses and characterized by glandular structures. The aims of this study are: to determine the genetic alterations in ITACs by MLPA (Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification) and to correlate the findings to the clinical behavior and follow-up information of the patients.

METHODS

We performed a longitudinal prospective study on 20 patients with ITAC, seen in our department between 1998 and 2004. DNA was extracted from primary tumor samples and analyzed by MLPA.

RESULTS

The T stage of our series was T2: 4 (20 %), T3: 6 (30 %), T4a: 3 (15 %) and T4b: 7 (35 %). All cases initially were N0 and M0. Seventeen patients (85 %) had professional exposure to wood dust. All patients underwent surgical intervention and 70 % received complementary radiotherapy. Overall 5 and 10 year survival was 42 % and 22 %, respectively. Gains were found most frequently for PTP4A3 and PDCD8 (65 %), TNRFSF7 (50 %), RECQL4 and LMO2 (45 %), and losses for BCL2 (70 %), IL13 (55 %), ABCB1 and RB1 (50 %), PIK3CA and CDH1 (45 %).

CONCLUSIONS

Losses of F3, MIF, and BRCA1 significantly correlated with the posterior development of metastases and with worse survival. Also gains of PIK3CA, UTY, and RELA correlated with poor clinical outcome. Losses of BRCA1 and F3 were significant in multivariate analysis.