title: Tumor heparanase expression in predicting response to induction chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced laryngeal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Induction chemotherapy is a feasible alternative to surgery for the treatment of locally advanced laryngeal cancer. Determining predictive factors associated with a better response to chemotherapy would help choose the patients most likely to benefit from larynx preservation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four patients diagnosed with locally advanced laryngeal cancer (stage III-IV) between April 1999 and May 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Eightytwo of them received 2 cycles and 2 received only 1 cycle of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy. Patients were then grouped, based on response to treatment, as either having complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable (SD) or progressive disease (PD). Factors predicting response to treatment were evaluated. Paraffin blocks were immunohistochemically examined for heparanase activity to see for any link between heparanase expression and response to treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 73 males and 11 females with a mean age of 59 years. After induction chemotherapy (cisplatin and 5-FU), 33 patients achieved PR and 20 CR. SD and PD occurred in 9 and 21 patients, respectively. Patients with stage III disease had better overall (CR and PR) response rates when compared with those with stage IV disease. Moreover, development of bone marrow suppression and heparanase positivity were both associated with better overall response rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the hypothesis that heparanase positivity is associated with better responses to induction chemotherapy, regardless of TNM stage. Furthermore, a higher overall response rate was observed in patients who developed myelosuppression secondary to chemotherapy.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Dincer
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Altundag
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Cengiz
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Ozyar
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Sungur
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Hosal
authors: I H
authors: IH
authors: Gullu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D060828:Induction Chemotherapy; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D000099175:Heparanase
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D005966:Glucuronidase; D000099175:Heparanase