: The activation of Wnt signaling has been reported in many types of squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, we used human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells with different metastatic potentials to investigate the involvement of Wnt signaling in metastasis. In addition, we aimed to elucidate the characteristic biological features related to high metastatic potential and to identify new target molecules for the suppression of OSCC lymph node metastasis. We compared SAS-Venus (SAS OSCC cells expressing green fluorescent protein) and SAS-LM8, which is a highly metastatic cell line derived from SAS-Venus by in vivo selection. The SAS-LM8 cell line had greater ability of migration and invasion than did SAS-Venus. Furthermore, a higher number of filopodia-like protrusive structures were produced in SAS-LM8 cells than in SAS-Venus cells, and the levels of active Cdc42 and active RhoA protein were higher in SAS-LM8 cells than in SAS-Venus cells. We did not observe any differences in the expression of Wnt/beta-catenin target genes between the two cell lines; however, the mRNA levels of Wnt5b were higher in SAS-LM8 cells than in SAS

No abstract

No abstract

We report a case of esophageal carcinoma with oral metastasis with a review of the literature. A 68-year-old man diagnosed with esophageal carcinoma underwent radiation therapy at another hospital, went into remission, and was admitted to our department with a chief complaint of tongue discomfort. A 10-mm tumor was found in the tongue, and a systemic search revealed metastatic tongue malignancy. Partial tongue resection was performed because the growth of the tongue tumor was impairing quality of life (QOL) . There was no recurrence until he died due to a deteriorated general condition. In Japan, there have been 16 previous reports of esophageal carcinoma metastasizing to the oral cavity. In the 17 patients including this case, the time from detecting primary lesion recurrence to the onset of oral metastasis was 3.1±2.2 months (mean±SD) . Survival after oral metastasis was 5.7±4.2 months (jawbone : 6.8±4.9 months, oral soft tissue : 5.4±3.9 months) ; the time to primary esophageal lesion recurrence was 4.0±2.1 months in the recurrent group and 8.8±5.8 months in the non-recurrent group. Oral metastases were mostly found in the tongue, gingiva, and jawbone. Surgical resection for tongue tumors and chemotherapy or radiation therapy for gingival and jaw tumors were the treatment policies ; these were selected to improve and maintain QOL at the end of life. Moreover, even in non-recurrent cases with good control of the primary esophageal lesion, if metastatic control is poor, the survival period is as short as that of recurrent cases. Thus, it is necessary to perform radical treatment actively where possible.