Expression of Ku86 confers favorable outcome of tonsillar carcinoma treated with radiotherapy

✍ Scribed by Signe Friesland; Lena Kanter-Lewensohn; Roger Tell; Eva Munck-Wikland; Rolf Lewensohn; Anders Nilsson

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 294 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1043-3074
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.10199

✦ Synopsis

Background:

To determine possible molecular markers for predicting radiosensitivity in squamous cell carcinoma, we have examined the relationship between pretreatment expression of the dna damage recognition complex dna-pk, its in vitro substrates, p53 and mdm2, local tumor control after radiotherapy (rt), and patient survival.

Methods and materials:

Formalin-fixed tumor biopsy specimens from 79 previously untreated patients with tonsillar carcinoma were analyzed by immunohistochemical methods.

Results:

Tumors expressing high levels of ku86 had better locoregional control in contrast to tumors expressing low levels of ku86 (p =.023). survival of patients with tumors expressing high levels of dna-pkcs was significantly better than survival of patients with tumors expressing low levels of dna-pkcs (p =.0024). p53 and mdm2 status alone did not correlate with survival of patients. however, patients with p53 tumors and high dna-pkcs expression had significantly better survival than patients with p53+ tumors expressing low levels of dna-pkcs (p =.0018). furthermore, survival of patients with high expression of dna-pkcs or ku86 and low mdm2 levels was significantly better when compared with survival of patients with low dna-pkcs or ku86 and high mdm2 (p =.0017 and p =.0034, respectively).

Conclusions:

High expression of dna-pkcs/ku86 in combination with p53 negativity in tonsillar carcinoma correlates with better survival of patients. identifying tumors with a phenotype predicting poor survival may be used to optimize treatment of patients with radioresistant tumors.