title: Aurora-A affects radiosenstivity in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and predicts poor prognosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Definitive radiation therapy (RT) (with or without cisplatin-based chemotherapy) is one of the most effective treatments for cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), but efficacy is limited due to resistance. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the expression of Aurora kinase A (Aurora-A, AURKA)and response to RT in patients with CSCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of Aurora-A in biopsy specimens of untreated primary tumors in 129 Uyghur patients with CSCC was investigated immunohistochemically. Primary treatment in these patients was definitive radical RT, which consisted of pelvic RT plus brachytherapy (total point A dose:70-85 Gy) (with or without cisplatin-based chemotherapy). The prognostic value of tumoral Aurora-A expression and patients' clinical outcomes were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aurora-A expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), large tumor size (P<0.001), low hemoglobin (Hb) level (P=0.011) and recurrence (P<0.001), but not other clinicopathological factors. Definitive RT was unfavorable in patients with high Aurora-A expression (P < 0.001). In 129 enrolled patients, lymph node metastasis, large tumor size, low Hb level, and AURKA overexpression were prognostic factors for both recurrent free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in univariate analysis. However, only high AURKA expression was an adverse independent risk factor for both RFS (hazard ratio, 3.953; 95% CI, 1.473-10.638; P = 0.006) and OS (hazard ratio 9.091; 95%CI 2.597-32.258; P<0.001) in multivariate analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aurora-A may serve as a predictive biomarker of radiation response and a therapeutic target to reverse radiation therapy resistance.
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Second Department, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.|The Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital Affilated To Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Second Department, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The Department of Radiation Oncology, Tumor Hospital Affilated To Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Ruozheng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Second Department, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Zegao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Second Department, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Second Department, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Chunhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Second Department, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Miaomiao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D064096:Aurora Kinase A / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011836:Radiation Tolerance / Q000235:genetics*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*
chemical_list: D064096:Aurora Kinase A
keywords: Aurora kinase A; Uyghur; cell cycle; cervical squamous cell carcinoma; radiation