MASPIN's prognostic role in patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma treated with primary chemotherapy (carboplatin plus vinorelbine) and radiotherapy: preliminary evidence.
CONCLUSIONS
Our very preliminary results support the hypothesis that MASPIN expression in primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) may be a valuable parameter for predicting patients' responses to a treatment based on carboplatin plus vinorelbine combined with radiotherapy.


OBJECTIVE
The roles of induction chemotherapy and combined chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced unresectable HNSCCs have evolved rapidly. MASPIN has a unique tumour-suppressing activity. Experimental evidence has shown that MASPIN suppresses tumour growth, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. We investigated the potential prognostic roles of MASPIN and p53 in a series of HNSCCs treated with carboplatin plus vinorelbine combined with radiotherapy.


METHODS
Nineteen consecutive stage III or IV HNSCC patients were recruited. The treatment plan consisted of the administration of carboplatin on day 1 and vinorelbine on days 1 and 8. Four weeks later, carboplatin was administered concomitantly with radiation therapy. Expression of MASPIN and p53 was determined immunohistochemically in HNSCC diagnostic biopsies.


RESULTS
A significant inverse relation was found between MASPIN expression and cN staging (p = 0.003). From a prognostic viewpoint, MASPIN expression was directly correlated with chemoradiotherapy response (p = 0.041). Moreover, the log-rank test showed a significant relationship between higher MASPIN expression and longer disease-free survival (p = 0.03), overall survival (p = 0.006) and disease-specific survival (p = 0.007).
Marioni
Gino
G
Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy. gino.marioni@unipd.it
Koussis
Haralabos
H
Gaio
Elena
E
Giacomelli
Luciano
L
Bertolin
Andy
A
D'Alessandro
Emiliano
E
Scola
Annamaria
A
Ottaviano
Giancarlo
G
de Filippis
Cosimo
C
Jirillo
Antonio
A
Staffieri
Alberto
A
Blandamura
Stella
S
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010039:Otorhinolaryngologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis*; D015843:Serpins / Q000032:analysis*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D000077235:Vinorelbine
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C085344:SERPIN-B5; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D015843:Serpins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D014747:Vinblastine; D016190:Carboplatin; D000077235:Vinorelbine