Pretreatment interleukin-6 serum levels are associated with patient survival for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

• Published in: Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery Vol. 148; no. 5; p. 786
• Main Authors: Chang, Kai-Ping, Kao, Huang-Kai, Wu, Chih-Ching, Fang, Ku-Hao, Chang, Yu-Liang, Huang, Yu-Chen, Liu, Shiau-Chin, Cheng, Ming-Huei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.05.2013
• Subjects: Biomarkers - blood; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - blood; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - mortality; Cohort Studies; Humans; Interleukin-6 - blood; Mouth Neoplasms - blood; Mouth Neoplasms - mortality; Precancerous Conditions; Prognosis; Survival Analysis; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Burden
• ISSN: 1097-6817
• DOI: 10.1177/0194599813478573

This study aims to determine the role of serum interleukin-6 concentration for oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas. Cohort study. Tertiary referral center. Two hundred thirty-seven untreated patients, 125 healthy individuals, and 104 individuals with oral premalignant lesions were enrolled. Interleukin-6 serum concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum concentrations of interleukin-6 were significantly higher in patients compared with the levels in healthy individuals and the subjects with oral premalignant lesions. Serum interleukin-6 levels were significantly higher in patients with higher pT status (from pT1 to pT4, median values in pg/mL = 0, 0, 1.3, and 5.0, respectively, with P < .001), higher pathological stages (from stage I to IV, median values = 0, 0, 1.3, and 3.6, respectively, with P < .001), positive bone invasion (5.0 vs 0, 1.4 vs 0; P < .001), and higher tumor depths (1.4 vs 0; P = .005). Patients with higher pretreatment levels of interleukin-6 (>1.35 pg/mL, median level) had worse prognoses for 5-year overall survival and disease-specific survival despite treatment (75.7% vs 54.9% and 79.1% vs 59.8%; P = .001 and .003, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analyses also indicated that higher interleukin-6 serum levels were an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and disease-free survival (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.417 and 2.364; P = .009 and .017, respectively). Our study revealed that serum interleukin-6 levels were associated with increased tumor burden and aggressiveness of oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas and may be useful as a prognostic indicator after treatment.