Furthermore, T and N classification, both known to define a poor prognosis in SCCHNs, were significantly associated with disease-free and overall survival (data not shown).
Van't Veer and colleagues used a 70-gene set to identify and define a 'poor prognosis' transcriptome in breast cancer [ 5], which was subsequently used to predict the likelihood of metastasis development and patient survival [ 6].
Our results, in this sense, all point towards the same conclusion: that a high h-MAM expression reflects a better differentiation, a lower proliferation rate and a higher hormone dependence of the tumours, all of which together define a better prognosis.
The Italian Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics [ 14] underlined that at birth it is impossible to define a sure prognosis only on the basis of the newborn's gestational age and weight, even taking into account the possibility of error in the assessment of gestational age and that at low gestational ages the possibilities of survival increase very quickly as days go on.
In this study we define an unfavourable prognosis as chances of spontaneous conception below 30% in the next 12 months according to the model of Hunault [ 7].
Specifically, simultaneous high IL12 (or IFNG) and low TGFB activity defined a good prognosis subtype relative to all other samples (HR = 0.41 (0.26-0.64) P < 10-4).
Similarly, simultaneous high RAS high MYC activity defined a poor prognosis subtype in ER+ disease (HR = 2.11 (1.39-3.21) P < 0.001, Figure 7D) and provided a better stratification than the model based on the individual pathways (Additional file 12).
It is well recognized that IR can contribute to an increased risk of coronary heart disease [ 30], it is highly prevalent in non-ischemic heart failure, and it is a common co-morbidity in congestive heart failure [ 6], where IR predicts the development and independently defines a worse prognosis [ 7].
This study and the report of the European Bone Marrow Transplantation Study Group (Ladenstein et al, 1993) suggested that clearance of skeletal uptake on bone scan after induction therapy defines a better prognosis subgroup that contains 40% of the population and have a 40% PFS at 5 years (versus 10%).
Endocan may be a key player in sustaining tumor growth and recent microarray analyses identified endocan, among other genes, as being one of the most significant molecular signatures defining a poor prognosis in breast [ 18], lung [ 19] but also in prostate cancers [ 20].
