Expression of Ku86 confers favorable outcome of tonsillar carcinoma treated with radiotherapy.
BACKGROUND: To determine possible molecular markers for predicting radiosensitivity in squamous cell carcinoma, we have examined the relationship between pretreatment expression of the DNA damage recognition complex DNA-PK, its in vitro substrates, p53 and MDM2, local tumor control after radiotherapy (RT), and patient survival. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Formalin-fixed tumor biopsy specimens from 79 previously untreated patients with tonsillar carcinoma were analyzed by immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: Tumors expressing high levels of Ku86 had better locoregional control in contrast to tumors expressing low levels of Ku86 (p =.023). Survival of patients with tumors expressing high levels of DNA-PKcs was significantly better than survival of patients with tumors expressing low levels of DNA-PKcs (p =.0024). p53 and MDM2 status alone did not correlate with survival of patients. However, patients with p53 tumors and high DNA-PKcs expression had significantly better survival than patients with p53+ tumors expressing low levels of DNA-PKcs (p =.0018). Furthermore, survival of patients with high expression of DNA-PKcs or Ku86 and low MDM2 levels was significantly better when compared with survival of patients with low DNA-PKcs or Ku86 and high MDM2 (p =.0017 and p =.0034, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: High expression of DNA-PKcs/Ku86 in combination with p53 negativity in tonsillar carcinoma correlates with better survival of patients. Identifying tumors with a phenotype predicting poor survival may be used to optimize treatment of patients with radioresistant tumors.[1]References
- Expression of Ku86 confers favorable outcome of tonsillar carcinoma treated with radiotherapy. Friesland, S., Kanter-Lewensohn, L., Tell, R., Munck-Wikland, E., Lewensohn, R., Nilsson, A. Head & neck. (2003) [Pubmed]
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