title: Predictive value of pAKT/PTEN expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma treated with cetuximab-based chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Molecular alterations in downstream effectors of epidermal growth factor receptor may confer resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors. Our aim is to investigate whether PTEN/pAKT expression predicts response to cetuximab-based chemotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed a cohort of 50 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma treated with cetuximab-based induction chemotherapy. PTEN expression and pAKT expression were assessed by immunohistochemistry and their correlation with treatment outcome was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the study patients, 18.4% had low PTEN expression, and 38.8% had high pAKT expression. Lower pAKT expression were associated with pathologic remission (P = .034) and better disease-free survival (P = .031).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that pAKT expression is a predictive biomarker of cetuximab-based induction chemotherapy in OSCC.
authors.affiliation: The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, Ninth people's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sir Run Run Shao Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuwen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Guoxin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial-Head and Neck Oncology, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: Guoweicn@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068818:Cetuximab / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human; D000068818:Cetuximab