OX-40 Protein Expression in the Sentinel Lymph Nodes of Patients With Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

- Determine the qualitative and quantitative expression of OX-40 and related markers in
sentinel lymph nodes previously removed from patients with cancer.

- Determine the qualitative and quantitative expression of OX-40 and related markers in
sentinel lymph nodes freshly removed from patients with cancer.

- Correlate the expression of OX-40 and related markers in sentinel lymph node tissue
with expression in nonsentinel tissue from primary tumors and nonsentinel lymph nodes,
tumor stage, and patient outcomes.

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:

- Adequate archived paraffin-embedded tissue for making slides for
immunostaining

- Adequate freshly removed sentinel lymph node (and primary tumor, if
available) tissue for laboratory assays

- Clinical data and date of last follow-up on tumor stage and status must be available

- Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- Not specified