Predictors of Tumor Response to Chemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer
Author Information
Author(s): Fouret P, Temam S, Charlotte F, Lacau-St-Guily J
Primary Institution: Service d'Anatomie Pathologique, UPRES EA 3499, UFR Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
Hypothesis
Tumor stage, node stage, p53 gene status, and bcl-2 protein expression are predictors of tumor response to platin-fluorouracil chemotherapy.
Conclusion
Tumor stage, node stage, p53 gene status, and bcl-2 expression are independent predictors of tumor response to platin-fluorouracil in patients with squamous-cell carcinomas of the head and neck.
Supporting Evidence
- P53 mutations were found in 52 patients (37%).
- 71% of patients had an objective response to chemotherapy.
- 86% of patients with T1 or T2 stage tumors responded to chemotherapy.
- 79% of node-negative patients responded to chemotherapy.
Takeaway
Doctors can better predict how well chemotherapy will work for head and neck cancer by looking at the tumor's stage and certain proteins in the tumor.
Methodology
The study analyzed tumor response in 141 patients using univariate and multivariate analyses based on tumor stage, node stage, p53 gene status, and bcl-2 expression.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the retrospective nature of the study and the single institution setting.
Limitations
The study is retrospective and may have selection bias.
Participant Demographics
Most patients were male (89%) and smokers (95%), with a median age of 59 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P=0.002
Confidence Interval
95% confidence interval 1.3–8.7
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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