Clinical features and genetic background for young onset tongue cancer

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18491
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57020:Oral pathobiological science-related
• Research Institution: Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research
• Principal Investigator: OHMOTO Akihiro 公益財団法人がん研究会, 有明病院 総合腫瘍科, 医員 (50751632)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 若年発症舌がん / 再発メカニズム / TP53変異 / 次世代シーケンス解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We analyzed 107 patients who were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue at the age under 40 years. Thirty-three of 106 patients (31%) who underwent curative surgery experienced clinical relapse (25 with localized relapse and 8 with metastatic relapse). Sixteen initial/relapsed paired samples suitable for NGS were available. Eleven of the 16 cases harbored any mutation in either initial or relapsed specimen. Any concordant mutation was detected in 7 pairs, and discordant mutation was found in 5 pairs. Our analysis suggested considerable frequency of clonal shift in driver genes in relation to clinical relapse. These information would provide an important clue in elucidating molecular mechanisms of relapse.

Free Research Field

腫瘍内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

舌がんの一部は喫煙歴がなくヒトパピローマウイルス非感染の若年者に発症し、他の頭頸部がんとは異なる特有な生物学的特徴をもつ集団である可能性が示唆されている。これまでの若年発症舌がんを対象にしたゲノム解析では、非若年舌がんと概ね同様の遺伝学的背景をもつことが報告されている。その一方で、若年発症舌がんの再発に関連する遺伝子異常についてはこれまで明らかとなっていない。初発時・再発時の腫瘍組織ペア検体を用いた本ゲノム解析は、将来的な若年発症舌がんの再発メカニズムの全体像を明らかにする上で、また再発腫瘍に対する新規治療開発の上で重要な知見となると考える。