Prediction of outcome of TPF with or without cetuximab induction chemotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using the FLAVINO assay.

Abstract

5572 Background: Due to the fact that chemoradiation strategies in case of resectable HNSCC are increasingly promoted, individual response evaluation for better biology-based decision making is more desirable than ever. The purpose is to analyze combined effects of docetaxel (T), cisplatin (P), 5-fluorouracil (F), and cetuximab (Ce) on colony formation of HNSCC in the FLAVINO assay (short-time ex-vivo colony-forming assay – flavin-protecting conditions) and correlate these results with outcome of TPF induction chemotherapy (TPF-IC) prior to irradiation (70 Gy). Methods: Tumor-biopsies of 18 patients suffering from HNSCC (treated by TPF-IC ± Ce) were taken, minced, collagenase-digested, and exposed to T and/or P at half, two- and double their tolerable plasma levels ±Ce, as well as Ce or medium alone. After 72-h incubation, wells were washed and cultures ethanol-fixed. Following pan-cytokeratin staining of epithelial cells using a Cy2-labeled antibody, fluorescent colonies were counted. Results: 66.7% of t...