Expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 as predictive marker for nasopharyngeal cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment of nasopharyngeal cancer. The expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) has been reported to be associated with resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. We evaluated whether ERCC1 expression could predict the treatment response and survival outcome of patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer who were treated with cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS:

Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of ERCC1 in nasopharyngeal tumor tissue. Patients were categorized into either a resistant or sensitive group depending on their treatment response outcome. A total of 77 patients were assessed in the present study.

RESULTS:

The resistant and sensitive groups included 25 and 52 patients, respectively. ERCC1 expression was positive in the tumor tissue for 39 of the 77 patients (51%). Significantly more ERCC1-negative tumors were in the sensitive group than in the resistant group (p = .035). In terms of survival outcome, univariate analysis determined that patients with ERCC1-negative tumors had longer disease-free survival (p = .076) and overall survival (p = .013) than patients with ERCC1-positive tumors. Multivariate analysis determined that negative ERCC expression in tumors was an independent predictor for prolonged overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.71).

CONCLUSION:

These results suggest that ERCC1 expression might be a useful predictive marker in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer who are under consideration for cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

• Authors: Jong-Mu Sun, Myung-Ju Ahn, Min Jae Park, Hui-Young Lee, Jin Seok Ahn, Seungkoo Lee, Gu Kang, Joungho Han, Young-Ik Son, Chung-Hwan Baek, Yong Chan Ahn, Keunchil Park
• Journal: International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics (Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys) Vol. 80 Issue 3 Pg. 655-60 (Jul 01 2011) ISSN: 1879-355X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21621119 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• DNA-Binding Proteins
• ERCC1 protein, human
• Endonucleases
• Cisplatin

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Analysis of Variance
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (metabolism)
• Carcinoma (drug therapy, metabolism, mortality, pathology, radiotherapy)
• Cisplatin (therapeutic use)
• Combined Modality Therapy (methods)
• Confidence Intervals
• DNA-Binding Proteins (metabolism)
• Disease-Free Survival
• Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
• Endonucleases (metabolism)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms (drug therapy, metabolism, mortality, pathology, radiotherapy)
• Young Adult