Abstract
BackgroundThe prognostic value of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and BRAF expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is not well-defined. In this study we investigated alterations in PD-L1, BRAF and EGFR by using immunohistochemistry analysis in a cohort of consecutively enrolled NPC patients.MethodsA retrospective review of 154 NPC patients form our previous study (BMC Cancer. 2013; 13:226) were conducted. Survival and prognostic impacts were analyzed based on PD-L1, BRAF and EGFR expression levels.ResultsOne hundred fifty four patients were included in this study. PD-L1 expression was detected in 87.7% of patients; 14.3% had 1–5% PD-L1 expression, 47.4% had 5–49% expression while 26% had ≥50% expression Higher PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with shorter PFS and OS. The median PFS was 25 months (95% CI 15.7–34.3 months) and OS was 35 months (95% CI 22.60–47.4 months) for patients with PD-L1 expression ≥50%; both median PFS and OS were not yet reached for patients with PD-L1 expression < 50%. PFS was significantly higher in BRAF mutation positive patients (5-year PFS: 55.1% vs. 30.8%, P = 0.044).ConclusionTumor PD-L1 expression and BRAF mutation are associated with poor outcomes in patients with NPC. This study was retrospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03989297) on 2019-6-18.
Highlights
The prognostic value of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and BRAF expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is not well-defined
In the present study we aim to evaluate the clinical significance of PD-L1, BARF and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expressions in the tumor cells of a cohort of NPC patients
Expression of PD-L1 can be upregulated by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), which is associated with impaired effector function and poor outcomes in NPC [25]
Summary
The prognostic value of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and BRAF expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is not well-defined. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is rare in most parts of the world but is one of the more common types of cancer in southern China. In 2015, it was estimated that the incidence of NPC was 60.6 per 100,000 in China with a mortality rate of 34.1 per 100,000 [1, 2]. The main treatment for NPC is radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy [3], and the 5-year survival rate is about 85% [4]. The prognosis for patients with recurrent or primary metastatic NPC is poor with a median progression free survival of 19.4 months [6]. Novel approaches and better therapies are needed for the treatment of NPC
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