IntroductionLaryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is one of the most incidence tumours in the world, especially in developing countries, such as Brazil. The main risk factors for LSCC are tobacco and alcohol consumption and it usually occurs in patients older than 60 years. Similarly to other head and neck tumours, LSCC is a major health problem because of poor prognosis and slight improvement in the five-year survival during the past four decades. Therefore, our objective was to better understand the LSCC transcriptome, identifying possible prognosis biomarkers and novel therapy targets.Material and methodsWas carried out a gene expression profile analysis using the Human Exon 1.0 ST microarray chip. To this end, the expression profile of 14 tumour tissues were compared with 12matched nonmalignant mucosa.Results and discussionTranscriptome analysis pointed out 817 differentially expressed genes (DEG), 315 of which with overexpression in tumour and 502 underexpressed when compared with matched nonmalignant mucosa. Performing a survival analysis across all overexpressed DEG, 24 genes were related to patients survival (ACOX1, ACVR1, ADH7, AGFG2, ALCAM, BTBD11, C12orf75, CDK14, CYP2C19, GBP6, GLTO, GNG4, LOX, LYPD6B, ME1, NPEPPS, ODC1, PMM1, PTGR1, SERPINA3, ST3GAL4, TDP52L1, ZDHHC13 and ZNF750). The prognostic values of these 24 genes were, then, validated in an independent LSCC data set of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the expression data, patient’s clinic and pathological features were analysed in Log-rank Test. Perineural invasion, commitment of surgical margins and expression of LOX, ALCAM, BTBD11 and LYPD68 showed p<0.05 and were selected to multivariate analysis applying Cox regression model. After age and tumour stage-adjustment, perineural invasion, commitment of surgical margins and ALCAM expression were classified as independent prognostic factors to LSCC patients. LSCC-patients displaying ALCAM high expression presented 4.5-fold increased death risk. ALCAM gene encodes the activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule protein, also known as CD166, which is a member of a subfamily of immunoglobulin receptors. This protein binds to T-cell differentiation antigen CD6, and is implicated in the processes of cell adhesion and migration.ConclusionALCAM expression might be an independent prognosis biomarker to LSCC patients. Furthermore, in vitro, in vivo and pre-clinical analyses must be performed to reinforce this hypothesis.