Abstract
Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) is an important mediator of apoptosis and the proliferation of cancer cells. It is upregulated in cells showing increasing radioresistance. Here we present the correlation between SphK1 expression and survival outcomes in patients with carcinoma of the oral cavity. A retrospective chart review was performed between January 2009 and August 2010 at the University of Southern California. Patients diagnosed with an advanced-stage primary tumor restricted to the oral cavity and a minimum follow-up of two years were included. Patients who did not receive post-operative radiation therapy were excluded. Eighteen patients met the inclusion criteria with 10 (55.6%) patients demonstrating high expression of SphK1 and 8 (44.4%) patients demonstrating a low-to-moderate expression of SphK1. Tumor recurrence occurred in 9 patients (50.0%): 5 patients (27.8%) in the SphK1high cohort at a mean time to progression of 2.5 mo and 4 patients (22.2%) in the SphK1low cohort at a mean time to progression of 11.0 mo (p = 0.023). Death occurred in 8 patients (66.7%) in the SphK1high cohort and 3 patients (16.7%) in the SphK1low cohort (p = 0.036). Higher expression of SphK1 correlates with greater radioresistance and poorer survival outcomes in patients with HNSCC of the oral cavity.
Highlights
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately 500,000 new cases annually, with over 40,000 cases occurring in the United States [1]
Tumor recurrence occurred in 9 patients (50.0%): 5 patients (27.8%) in the SphK1high cohort at a mean time to progression of 2.5 mo and 4 patients (22.2%) in the SphK1low cohort at a mean time to progression of 11.0 mo (p = 0.023)
The objective of this paper is to present the correlation between Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) expression and survival outcomes in patients with oropharyngeal carcinoma
Summary
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately 500,000 new cases annually, with over 40,000 cases occurring in the United States [1]. HNSCC is twice more common in men than in women, with a predilection for people over 50 years of age with a history of smoking and significant alcohol consumption [1]. Despite recent advances in therapy, the five-year survival rates have not improved for more than 3 decades, making HNSCC a major cause of morbidity and mortality [2]. The poor prognosis of advanced HNSCC increases the importance of determining new markers for targeted therapy. Because radiotherapy is a mainstay of treatment, increasing radiosensitivity is a promising new treatment strategy to decrease radiation-associated morbidity and to decrease overall mortality
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