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Oncogene expression may guide treatment, predict outcomes in head, neck cancer
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The human cancer-causing gene DEK appeared detectable in the plasma of patients with head and neck cancer, according to study results presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium.
DEK expression may aid in the treatment of patients with head and neck cancer or predict patient outcomes, according to the researchers.
Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD
“Head and neck cancer remains the sixth most common cancer worldwide,” Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, said in a press release. “Although infection with HPV has emerged as a factor for determining outcomes for head and neck cancer, leading to less intense treatment strategies for patients, no plasma biomarkers exist to predict tumor response, treatment or possible relapse.”
DEK mRNA and protein expression are highly upregulated in tissue specimen from patients with head and neck cancer, according to study background. Prior studies have shown that DEK is highly and universally expressed in head and neck cancer tissue, irrespective of stage or HPV infection status.
Wise-Draper and colleagues sought to determine whether DEK may be present in the plasma of patients with head and neck cancer, and whether it correlated with outcomes or aggressiveness of disease.
The researchers collected peripheral blood from patients with newly diagnosed, treatment-naive head and neck cancer, as well as healthy age-matched controls. They separated plasma in the samples and subjected it to a DEK-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Cusabio), which was then compared with normal controls, tumor stage, age and smoking status.
Overall, the researchers detected DEK in the plasma of patients with head and neck cancer and in healthy controls. Compared with cancer-free individuals, DEK appeared decreased in patients with cancer, with an inverse correlation with interleukin-6 levels in the plasma.
According to the researchers, this correlation suggests that high DEK levels may indicate a better prognosis in patients with cancer.
High DEK levels also appeared associated with superior immune infiltration of tumors, which may predict patient amenability to immunotherapy.
Further, DEK levels in plasma decreased with advanced disease stage.
“Further analyses are ongoing to determine whether DEK levels predict response to various treatment modalities, correlate with the body’s immune response, and whether DEK presence in the serum will predict residual disease and/or early relapse,” Wise-Draper and colleagues wrote. “These data will be important to verify DEK plasma measurements as a clinically useful test and may give insight to future personalized and targeted treatment strategies for head and neck cancer." – by Cameron Kelsall
Reference:
Wise-Draper T, et al. The DEK oncogene can be detected in the plasma of head and neck cancer patients and may predict immune response and prognosis. Presented at: Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium; Feb. 18-20, 2016; Scottsdale, Ariz.
Disclosure: Wise-Draper reports no relevant financial disclosures. HemOnc Today was unable to confirm the other researchers’ relevant financial disclosures at the time of reporting.