Expression of BRCA1 and ERCC1 as predictive clinical outcome after radiochemotherapy in patients with locoregionally moderate-advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Shan Xu,Jinfeng Rong,Juan Fan,Yanxin Yu,Shaozhi Fu,Hongru Yang,Lijun Zhang,Linglin Yang,Jingbo Wu,Defeng Hu

doi:10.18632/oncotarget.15565

Abstract

In this study, we examined ERCC1 and BRCA1 expression and clinical outcome of 201 phase-III-IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who were treated with cisplatin-based induced chemotherapy and concurrent radiochemotherapy. The chemotherapy response rate of BRCA1– and BRCA1+ patients was 73.6% and 55.8%, respectively. In addition, the chemotherapy response rate of ERCC1– and ERCC1+ patients was 76.9% and 56.6%, respectively. In patients’ tissues, ERCC1 expression associated with BRCA1 expression. The chemotherapy response rate of BRCA1– and ERCC1– patients was (82.1%) and higher than that of other groups (range 52.4-73.1%). The radiochemotherapy response rate of BRCA1– and ERCC1– patients was higher than that BRCA1+ and ERCC1+ patients. BRCA1– and ERCC1– patients showed higher 3-year overall survival, failure-free survival, locoregional failure-free survival and distant failure-free survival compared to BRCA1+ or ERCC1+ patients. Moreover, the 3-year overall survival, failure-free survival and distant failure-free survival of the BRCA1– and ERCC1– group were higher than that of other groups. TNM stage, ERCC1 expression and the correlation between BRCA1 and ERCC1 expression seemed significant overall survival factors. In conclusion, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, ERCC1 and BRCA1 may be a predictor of response to platinum-based chemotherapy and concurrent radiochemotherapy.

Highlights

According to epidemiology, therapeutic method and prognosis, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a special kind of cancer in head and neck [1]
We examined ERCC1 and BRCA1 expression and clinical outcome of 201 phase-III-IV nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who were treated with cisplatinbased induced chemotherapy and concurrent radiochemotherapy
We found that BRCA1 and ERCC1 proteins were located in the nuclei of cancer cells

Summary

Introduction

Therapeutic method and prognosis, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a special kind of cancer in head and neck [1]. The standard dose of radiotherapy (RT) is 65-75 GY within 6-7 weeks in consideration of that NPC is very sensitive to radio. Numerous patients with their disease at a locally advanced stage were treated by RT alone, comes out the overall survival (OS) in 5 years range from 32% to 52% [3]. People with locally advanced NPC were suggested to accept the chemotherapy as an additional treatment, which is well established for metastasis, with a high level of objective response, enduring remission and in some cases of long survival [6]. The consideration of adopting a better chemotherapeutic regimen will cause the maximization of curative effects and the minimization of adverse effects, if the efficient bio markers for chemotherapy resistance are established [9]

Methods

Results

Conclusion