title: MASPIN's prognostic role in patients with advanced head and neck carcinoma treated with primary chemotherapy (carboplatin plus vinorelbine) and radiotherapy: preliminary evidence.
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy. gino.marioni@unipd.it
authors.forename: Gino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marioni
authors.forename: Haralabos
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koussis
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaio
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertolin
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Alessandro
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scola
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ottaviano
authors.forename: Cosimo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Filippis
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jirillo
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staffieri
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blandamura
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C085344:SERPIN-B5; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D015843:Serpins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D014747:Vinblastine; D016190:Carboplatin; D000077235:Vinorelbine