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Mohamed ASR, Abusaif A, He R, Wahid KA, Salama V, Youssef S, McDonald BA, Naser M, Ding Y, Salzillo TC, AboBakr MA, Wang J, Lai SY, Fuller CD. Prospective validation of diffusion-weighted MRI as a biomarker of tumor response and oncologic outcomes in head and neck cancer: Results from an observational biomarker pre-qualification study. Radiother Oncol 2023; 183:109641. [PMID: 36990394 PMCID: PMC10848569 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2023.109641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine DWI parameters associated with tumor response and oncologic outcomes in head and neck (HNC) patients treated with radiotherapy (RT). METHODS HNC patients in a prospective study were included. Patients had MRIs pre-, mid-, and post-RT completion. We used T2-weighted sequences for tumor segmentation which were co-registered to respective DWIs for extraction of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements. Treatment response was assessed at mid- and post-RT and was defined as: complete response (CR) vs. non-complete response (non-CR). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare ADC between CR and non-CR. Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) was performed to identify ADC threshold associated with relapse. Cox proportional hazards models were done for clinical vs. clinical and imaging parameters and internal validation was done using bootstrapping technique. RESULTS Eighty-one patients were included. Median follow-up was 31 months. For patients with post-RT CR, there was a significant increase in mean ADC at mid-RT compared to baseline ((1.8 ± 0.29) × 10-3 mm2/s vs. (1.37 ± 0.22) × 10-3 mm2/s, p < 0.0001), while patients with non-CR had no significant increase (p > 0.05). RPA identified GTV-P delta (Δ)ADCmean < 7% at mid-RT as the most significant parameter associated with worse LC and RFS (p = 0.01). Uni- and multi-variable analysis showed that GTV-P ΔADCmean at mid-RT ≥ 7% was significantly associated with better LC and RFS. The addition of ΔADCmean significantly improved the c-indices of LC and RFS models compared with standard clinical variables (0.85 vs. 0.77 and 0.74 vs. 0.68 for LC and RFS, respectively, p < 0.0001 for both). CONCLUSION ΔADCmean at mid-RT is a strong predictor of oncologic outcomes in HNC. Patients with no significant increase of primary tumor ADC at mid-RT are at high risk of disease relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdallah S R Mohamed
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Abdelrahman Abusaif
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Renjie He
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kareem A Wahid
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Vivian Salama
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sara Youssef
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brigid A McDonald
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mohamed Naser
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yao Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Travis C Salzillo
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Moamen A AboBakr
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jihong Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stephen Y Lai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Clifton D Fuller
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA.
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CircRFWD3 promotes HNSCC metastasis by modulating miR-27a/b/PPARγ signaling. Cell Death Dis 2022; 8:285. [PMID: 35690612 PMCID: PMC9188624 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-022-01066-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world, the 5-year survival rate of patients with HNSCC is still about 50% due to frequent metastasis and recurrence. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been characterized as key regulators of gene expression in numerous malignancies. However, the role of circRNA in HNSCC metastasis remains largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated that the circRFWD3 was significantly upregulated in HNSCC tissues and cell lines by circRNA microarray analysis and qPCR. Notably, high expression of circRFWD3 is related to highly aggressive HNSCC cell lines and lymph node metastasis in HNSCC patients. After that, Sanger sequencing, RNase R, and actinomycin D assay were performed to verify the ring structure of circRFWD3. Then functional experiments found it could promote the metastasis of HNSCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, a dual-luciferase reporter assay, FISH, RIP, RNA pull-down, RNA-seq, and western blot experiments were employed and found that circRFWD3 served as a miRNAs sponge for miR-27a/27b, leading to the upregulation of PPARγ, and then promoted HNSCC metastasis via NF-κB/MMP13 pathway. Finally, ISH and IHC were carried out to determine the expression levels and clinical significances of circRFWD3 and PPARγ in clinical cohorts of HNSCC. According to the analysis results from two independent HNSCC cohorts, upregulated expression of circRFWD3 and PPARγ were positively associated with worse survival in patients with HNSCC. Overall, our results uncover that circRFWD3 acts a critical role in promoting the aggressiveness of HNSCC cells and is a prognostic marker for the disease, indicating that circRFWD3 may act as a potential therapeutic target in HNSCC.
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Boosting the Immune Response with the Combination of Electrochemotherapy and Immunotherapy: A New Weapon for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck? Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12102781. [PMID: 32998297 PMCID: PMC7601050 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12102781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) represents a problem of utmost concern and, for many clinicians and surgeons, an enormous challenge. Currently, new generation immunotherapy which avails of check point inhibitors, namely molecules capable of restoring the host’s immune system strongly depressed by the presence of tumor cells, is gaining increasing importance. Nevertheless, immunotherapy alone is not always effective in some patients, in particular those having a bulky and highly symptomatic disease. These last require the addition of locoregional strategies able to reduce the tumor mass and to assist immunotherapy in producing its effect. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a strategy able to associate the electroporation of tumor cells and the simultaneous administration of antineoplastic drugs, so as to concentrate the latter directly in the tumor site. The combination of ECT and immunotherapy could be very effective particularly in patients having a bulky/highly symptomatic SCCHN. Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (SCCHN) are not rare malignancies and account for 7% of all solid tumors. Prognosis of SCCHN patients strongly depends on tumor extension, site of onset, and genetics. Advanced disease (recurrent/metastatic) is associated with poor prognosis, with a median overall survival of 13 months. In these patients, immunotherapy may represent an interesting option of treatment, given the good results reached by check-point inhibitors in clinical practice. Nevertheless, only a minor number of patients with advanced disease respond to immunotherapy, and, disease progressions/hyper-progressions are common. The latter could be a very difficult issue, especially in patients having a wide and highly symptomatic head/neck mass. Given the potentiality to boost the immune response of some local modalities, such as electrochemotherapy, a possible future approach may take into account the combination of electrochemotherapy and immunotherapy to treat patients affected by SCCHN, suffering from symptomatic lesions that need rapid debulking.
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Huang Y, Wu LL, Xiang RL, Yu GY. Efficacy and Safety of Intro-Arterial Chemotherapy Combined with Radiotherapy on Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Cancer 2019; 10:6233-6243. [PMID: 31772656 PMCID: PMC6856744 DOI: 10.7150/jca.36478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Intro-arterial chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy (IACRT) for the treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) underwent a revival in recent years. Although many clinical trials have reported favorable outcomes, the effect of IACRT for HNC is still controversial. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IACRT for HNC. Methods: The relevant articles published before August 2019 were searched from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and PMC databases. Data were extracted and the combined complete response (CR), overall survival (OS) and toxicity incidence with 95% credible interval (CI) were examined from eligible studies. Results: Thirty-four studies comprising 1890 patients were included. IACRT achieved high CR (0.81, 95% CI: 0.76-0.86, P < 0.001), 3-year OS (0.75, 95% CI: 0.68-0.82, P < 0.001) and 5-year OS (0.68, 95% CI: 0.61-0.75, P < 0.001). The 3-year OS rate of stage III cancer (0.75, 95% CI: 0.53-0.97, P< 0.001) was higher than stage IV (0.52, 95% CI: 0.37-0.66, P = 0.025). Meanwhile, the 5-year OS of T3 cancer (0.87, 95% CI: 0.73-1.01, P = 0.028) was higher than T4 (0.53, 95% CI: 0.42-0.63, P = 0.286). Additionally, oral diseases, mucositis, leukopenia and dermatitis were the major toxicities of IACRT, which were all reversible. Conclusion: IACRT is an efficient and safe modality for HNC, which could achieve favorable cancer response and higher survival rate with acceptable toxicities, even for advanced HNC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Huang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Li-Ling Wu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Peking University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences, Ministry of Education, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ruo-Lan Xiang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Peking University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Sciences, Ministry of Education, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Guang-Yan Yu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, 100081, China
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