Clinical variables provide little information about the potential of a tumour to spread and consequently the search for effective serum marker molecules has been intense. In 21 April
The alpha chain of the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R*) is expressed on activated T cells and at lower levels on activated B cells, natural killer cells, and tumour cells. Tartour et al performed a multivariate prospective analysis of 234 patients with head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma and found that high serum concentrations of sIL-2R* at diagnosis was highly correlated with a shorter survival (p<0·0001). In addition, patients with low serum sIL-2R* at diagnosis were less likely to develop metastasis during the subsequent 36 months, compared with the group with high serum sIL-2R* (p<0·001) (Lancet 2001, ...
