Predicting Recurrences in Head and Neck Cancer with Methylation Analysis
Author Information
Author(s): Tan H K, Saulnier P, Auperin A, Lacroix L, Casiraghi O, Janot F, Fouret P, Temam S
Primary Institution: Institut Gustave-Roussy
Hypothesis
Can the presence of hypermethylated genes in surgical margins predict local recurrences in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs)?
Conclusion
The study found that hypermethylated promoters in surgical margins can predict local recurrences and disease-specific deaths in HNSCC patients.
Supporting Evidence
- 64% of tumors were hypermethylation informative.
- Patients with hypermethylation informative tumors had longer disease-free survivals.
- Molecularly positive margins were associated with shorter time to local recurrences.
- None of the patients with molecularly negative margins developed disease-specific events.
Takeaway
Doctors can check for certain markers in the edges of cancer surgery to see if the cancer might come back later.
Methodology
The study used quantitative methylation-specific PCR (QMSP) to analyze tumor and surgical margin specimens from patients with HNSCC.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of patients with close resection margins or insufficient margin samples.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and was conducted at a single institution, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The study included 42 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, with a mean age of approximately 59 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
P=0.007 for disease-free survival, P=0.004 for time to disease-specific deaths
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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