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Molecular profiling of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Author(s) -
Feldman Rebecca,
Gatalica Zoran,
Knezetic Joseph,
Reddy Sandeep,
Nathan CherieAnn,
Javadi Nader,
Teknos Theodoros
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.24290
Subject(s) - pten , tensin , head and neck squamous cell carcinoma , cancer research , epidermal growth factor receptor , oncology , medicine , gene expression profiling , population , targeted therapy , head and neck cancer , biology , gene , pi3k/akt/mtor pathway , receptor , cancer , gene expression , signal transduction , genetics , environmental health
Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) exhibits high rates of recurrence, and with few approved targeted agents, novel treatments are needed. We analyzed a molecular profiling database for the distribution of biomarkers predictive of chemotherapies and targeted agents. Methods Seven hundred thirty‐five patients with advanced HNSCC (88 with known human papillomavirus [HPV] status), were profiled using multiple platforms (gene sequencing, gene copy number, and protein expression). Results Among the entire patient population studied, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was the protein most often overexpressed (90%), TP53 gene most often mutated (41%), and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PIK3CA) most often amplified (40%; n = 5). With the exception of TP53 mutation, other biomarker frequencies were not significantly different among HPV‐positive or HPV‐negative patients. PIK3CA mutations and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss are frequent events, independent of HPV status. The immune response‐modulating programmed cell death 1 (PD1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PDL1) axis was active across sites, stages, and HPV status. Conclusion Molecular profiling utilizing multiple platforms provides a range of therapy options beyond standard of care. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38 : E1625–E1638, 2016