Plasma osteopontin is an independent prognostic marker for head and neck cancers.
OBJECTIVE
To confirm the relationship between plasma osteopontin (OPN) levels and treatment outcomes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients in an expanded study.


METHODS
One hundred forty patients with newly diagnosed HNSCC were enrolled onto this study, 54 previously reported and 86 new patients. Pretreatment plasma OPN levels were assessed in all patients by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. OPN levels were correlated to treatment outcomes in the new group of patients. Detailed analyses were also performed on the relationship between OPN and tumor control rate, event-free survival (EFS), and postrelapse survival for the entire group.


RESULTS
Using a previously defined cut off point of 450 ng/mL, there was a significant correlation between OPN and freedom-from-relapse (P = .047), overall survival (P = .019), and EFS (P = .023) in the new, independent patient cohort (n = 86). Sequence of event analyses using the entire group (N = 140) revealed that OPN was an independent prognostic factor for initial tumor control, EFS in those who have achieved tumor control, and postrelapse survival.


CONCLUSIONS
In this expanded study, we were able to replicate the prognostic significance of OPN using a predefined cut off point in an independent patient group and demonstrated that plasma OPN is an independent prognostic marker for HNSCC.
Petrik
David
D
Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Lavori
Philip W
PW
Cao
Hongbin
H
Zhu
Yonghua
Y
Wong
Priscilla
P
Christofferson
Erin
E
Kaplan
Michael J
MJ
Pinto
Harlan A
HA
Sutphin
Patrick
P
Koong
Albert C
AC
Giaccia
Amato J
AJ
Le
Quynh-Thu
QT
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D016879:Salvage Therapy
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D053495:Osteopontin