Clinical significance of erythropoietin receptor expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma

• Main Authors: Lin Yu-Tsai, Chuang Hui-Ching, Chen Chang-Han, Armas Gian, Chen Han-Ku, Fang Fu-Min, Huang Chao-Cheng, Chien Chih-Yen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2012-05-01
• Series: BMC Cancer
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/12/194

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hypoxic tumors are refractory to radiation and chemotherapy. High expression of biomarkers related to hypoxia in head and neck cancer is associated with a poorer prognosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological significance of erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study included 256 patients who underwent primary surgical resection between October 1996 and August 2005 for treatment of OSCC without previous radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Clinicopathological information including gender, age, T classification, N classification, and TNM stage was obtained from clinical records and pathology reports. The mRNA and protein expression levels of EPOR in OSCC specimens were evaluated by Q-RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that EPOR were overexpressed in OSCC tissues. The study included 17 women and 239 men with an average age of 50.9 years (range, 26–87 years). The mean follow-up period was 67 months (range, 2–171 months). High EPOR expression was significantly correlated with advanced T classification (<it>p</it> < 0.001), advanced TNM stage (<it>p</it> < 0.001), and positive N classification (<it>p</it> = 0.001). Furthermore, the univariate analysis revealed that patients with high tumor EPOR expression had a lower 5-year overall survival rate (<it>p</it> = 0.0011) and 5-year disease-specific survival rate (<it>p</it> = 0.0017) than patients who had low tumor levels of EPOR. However, the multivariate analysis using Cox’s regression model revealed that only the T and N classifications were independent prognostic factors for the 5-year overall survival and 5-year disease-specific survival rates.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>High EPOR expression in OSCC is associated with an aggressive tumor behavior and poorer prognosis in the univariate analysis among patients with OSCC. Thus, EPOR expression may serve as a treatment target for OSCC in the future.</p>