title: Prognostic value of ERCC1 in head and neck carcinoma treated with definitive or adjuvant radiotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prognostic significance of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) expression in head and neck carcinoma patients treated with definitive radiotherapy (DR) or adjuvant radiotherapy (AR).
  
  
  METHODS
  ERCC1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. A total of 48 patients were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High ERCC1 expression was found in 23 patients (48 %). More ERCC1-positive tumours were detected in patients treated with DR than in patients treated with AR (73 vs. 36 %, respectively, p = 0.03). ERCC1 expression had no impact on overall survival neither in the whole cohort of patients (p = 0.16) nor in each particular treatment group (AR p = 0.98; DR p = 0.21).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ERCC1 expression had no predictive value in head and neck carcinoma patients treated with DR or AR. There might be difference in ERCC1 positivity that comes out of whether the assessment is done on biopsy or surgical specimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zagreb, Kispaticeva 12, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia. vesna.bisof@zg.t-com.hr
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bišof
authors.forename: Antonija
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jakovčević
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seiwerth
authors.forename: Zoran
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rakušić
authors.forename: Slavko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gašparov
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004720:Endonucleases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C071447:ERCC1 protein, human; D004720:Endonucleases