Relation between cancer stem cell related factor and radio-resistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K19836
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Radiation science
• Research Institution: National Cancer Center Japan
• Principal Investigator: Murakami Naoya 国立研究開発法人国立がん研究センター, 中央病院, 医員 (00604282)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 頭頚部扁平上皮がん / がん幹細胞関連分子 / 放射線抵抗性 / 放射線治療

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Reliable biomarker can contribute to appropriate treatment selection in the management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Recently,
epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) was shown to have prognostic features in several malignancies. However, it remains to be elucidated whether EpCAM predicts prognosis of HNSCC after radiotherapy. Therefore, prognostic potential of EpCAM in HNSCC patients treated by radiotherapy was investigated in this study. All HNSCCs patients examined between January 2013 and December 2015 were analyzed for the expression of EpCAM. One hundred HNSCC patients were identified who were treated by primary radiotherapy. The intense expression of EpCAM was found in 29 HNSCC patients. In multivariate analysis, intense EpCAM expression were found to be independent prognostic factors for OS (p=0.036). EpCAM was found to be an independent prognostic factor for HNSCC. The results of above mentioned study was published in Journal of Radiation Research.

Free Research Field

放射線治療

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本試験の結果が他のコホートでも再現されるかどうかを現在JCOG0701A2という前向き臨床試験の副次研究で解析中です。もし同様の結果が得られれば、簡易な免疫組織学的検査で放射線抵抗性を予測でき、実臨床に重要な情報を提供できるものと考えます。