Prevalence and predictive role of p16 and epidermal growth factor receptor in surgically treated oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship of p16 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression with survival in surgically treated patients who had oropharyngeal or oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).


METHODS
Tissue from 36 patients with oropharyngeal SCC and 49 patients with oral cavity SCC treated between 1997 and 2001 was imbedded and immunostained using a tissue microarray.


RESULTS
The p16 was positive in 57% and 13% of patients with oropharyngeal SCC and oral cavity SCC, respectively. EGFR was positive in 60% and 63% of patients with oropharyngeal SCC and oral cavity SCC, respectively. In patients with oropharyngeal SCC, p16 expression was associated with improved disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS), and time to recurrence (TTR) (p < .01, < .01, and <.01, respectively). EGFR expression was associated with poorer DSS, OS, and TTR (p < .01, = .01, and < .01, respectively). For oropharyngeal SCC, when examining both p16 and EGFR expression as combined biomarkers, high p16 expression coupled with low EGFR expression was associated with improved DSS (p p16 = .01; p EGFR = .01). Patients with oral cavity SCC showed no association between biomarker and outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
For patients with oropharyngeal SCC, high p16 and low EGFR were associated with improved outcome, suggesting a predictive role in surgically treated patients.
Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Shamir P
SP
Chandarana
Julia S
JS
Lee
Eric J P
EJ
Chanowski
Assuntina G
AG
Sacco
Carol R
CR
Bradford
Gregory T
GT
Wolf
Mark E
ME
Prince
Jeffrey S
JS
Moyer
Avraham
A
Eisbruch
Francis P
FP
Worden
Thomas J
TJ
Giordano
Bhavna
B
Kumar
Katrina G
KG
Cordell
Thomas E
TE
Carey
Douglas B
DB
Chepeha
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D015996:Survival Rate
D015415:Biomarkers; C000614131:CDKN2A protein, human; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors