Study of The Examination of Sentinel Lymph Nodes for OX-40 Expression in Patients With Cancer
Study of The Examination of Sentinel Lymph Nodes for OX-40 Expression in Patients With Cancer
RATIONALE: Studying protein expression in sentinel lymph node tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors identify and learn more about biomarkers related to cancer. It may also help the study of cancer in the future.
PURPOSE: This laboratory study is evaluating OX-40 protein expression in the sentinel lymph nodes of patients with cancer.
OBJECTIVES:
OUTLINE: Sections of primary tumors, nonsentinel lymph nodes, and sentinel lymph nodes will be analyzed for expression of OX-40 by immunohistochemistry. Sections of negative (no tumor metastases) lymph nodes will be used as internal controls. Fresh tissue and blood will be tested for marker analysis and in vitro assays of immune function.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 100 specimens from sentinel lymph nodes previously removed from cancer patients and 100 specimens from sentinel lymph nodes freshly removed from cancer patients will be accrued for this study.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
Histologically or cytologically confirmed cancer, including, but not limited to, the following:
Melanoma
Breast cancer
Invasive squamous cell cancer
Other cancers for which patients underwent or will undergo the following:
Clinical data and date of last follow-up on tumor stage and status must be available
Hormone receptor status not specified
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: