Ho Jung An1, Heejoon Jo2, Chan Kwon Jung3, Jin Hyoung Kang4, Min Sik Kim5, Dong-Il Sun5, Kwang Jae Cho5, Jung-Hae Cho5, Hye Sung Won4, Der Sheng Sun4, Yoon Ho Ko6. 1. Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Suwon, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States. 3. Department of Hospital Pathology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 4. Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 5. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea. 6. Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Cancer Research Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: koyoonho@catholic.ac.kr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Excision repair cross complement group 1 (ERCC1) expression is a predictive biomarker for platinum-containing treatment in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN). However, the prognostic significance after surgical resection is not well understood. METHODS: Oropharynx (n=143) or oral cavity (n=61) SCCHN patients undergoing surgery were included. ERCC1 protein expression and HPV status were assessed by ERCC1 and p16 immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The ERCC1, over-expressed in 66.7% of patients, was associated with oral cavity cancer (P<0.001), well differentiation (P=0.036), and HPV negativity (P<0.001). In TCGA database, ERCC1 mRNA upregulation was enriched in HPV-negative and oral cavity cancers, and associated with HRAS mutation (P<0.001). The prognostic role of ERCC1 was not different according to HPV status. High ERCC1 expression showed a trend toward poor prognosis in patients with an advanced stage (P=0.079) with marginal significance. CONCLUSIONS: The ERCC1 expression was not prognostic in surgically resected oropharynx/oral cavity SCCHN, irrespective of HPV status. However, it could provide additional prognostic information for advanced stage patients.
BACKGROUND:Excision repair cross complement group 1 (ERCC1) expression is a predictive biomarker for platinum-containing treatment in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN). However, the prognostic significance after surgical resection is not well understood. METHODS: Oropharynx (n=143) or oral cavity (n=61) SCCHN patients undergoing surgery were included. ERCC1 protein expression and HPV status were assessed by ERCC1 and p16 immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The ERCC1, over-expressed in 66.7% of patients, was associated with oral cavity cancer (P<0.001), well differentiation (P=0.036), and HPV negativity (P<0.001). In TCGA database, ERCC1 mRNA upregulation was enriched in HPV-negative and oral cavity cancers, and associated with HRAS mutation (P<0.001). The prognostic role of ERCC1 was not different according to HPV status. High ERCC1 expression showed a trend toward poor prognosis in patients with an advanced stage (P=0.079) with marginal significance. CONCLUSIONS: The ERCC1 expression was not prognostic in surgically resected oropharynx/oral cavity SCCHN, irrespective of HPV status. However, it could provide additional prognostic information for advanced stage patients.