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. 2013 Jul 15;86(4):785-90.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2013.04.001. Epub 2013 May 9.

Nuclear NF-κB expression correlates with outcome among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with primary chemoradiation therapy

Panagiotis Balermpas  1 , Yvonne Michel, Jens Wagenblast, Oliver Seitz, Florian Sipek, Franz Rödel, Claus Rödel, Emmanouil Fokas
Affiliations

Nuclear NF-κB expression correlates with outcome among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with primary chemoradiation therapy

Panagiotis Balermpas et al. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. .

Abstract

Background: To examine whether nuclear NF-κB expression correlates with outcome in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with primary chemoradiation therapy (CRT).

Methods and materials: Between 2007 and 2010, 101 patients with locally advanced primary HNSCC were treated with definitive simultaneous CRT. Pretreatment biopsy specimens were analyzed for NF-κB p65 (RelA) nuclear immunoreactivity. A sample was assigned to be positive with more than 5% positive nuclear expression. The predictive relevance of NF-κB and clinicopathologic factors for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local progression-free survival (LPFS), and metastasis-free survival (DMFS) was examined by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results: No significant differences between the groups were observed with regard to age, sex, total radiation dose, fractionation mode, total chemotherapy applied, T stage or grading. Patients with p65 nuclear positive biopsy specimens showed significantly a higher rate of lymph node metastasis (cN2c or cN3 status, P=.034). Within a mean follow-up time of 25 months (range, 2.33-62.96 months) OS, PFS, and DMFS were significantly poorer in the p65 nuclear positive group (P=.008, P=.027, and P=.008, respectively). These correlations remained significant in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion: NF-κB/p65 nuclear expression is associated with increased lymphatic and hematogenous tumor dissemination and decreased survival in HNSCC patients treated with primary CRT. Our results may foster further investigation of a predictive relevance of NF-κB/p65 and its role as a suitable target for a molecular-based targeted therapy in HNSCC cancer.

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