Gene single nucleotide polymorphism accumulation improves survival in advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with weekly paclitaxel

• Published in: The Laryngoscope Vol. 119; no. 8; p. 1484
• Main Authors: Grau, Juan J, Caballero, Miguel, Campayo, Marc, Jansa, Sonia, Vargas, Mauricio, Alós, Llucia, Monzo, Mariano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.08.2009
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; Confidence Intervals; Disease-Free Survival; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Endonucleases - genetics; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genetic Markers - genetics; Head and Neck Neoplasms - drug therapy; Head and Neck Neoplasms - genetics; Head and Neck Neoplasms - mortality; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasm Invasiveness - pathology; Neoplasm Staging; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Paclitaxel - administration & dosage; Palliative Care; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics; Probability; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Survival Analysis; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1531-4995
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.20254

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of certain genes involved in drug metabolism correlate with survival. We evaluated the presence of SNPs in six genes (CYP2C8, GSTT1, GSTP1, MDR1-57, MDR1-62, and ERCC1) and the response rate (RR), time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS) of advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with weekly paclitaxel. SNPs in CYP2C8, MDR1-57, and MDR1-62 genes were more frequent than wild-type genes in our patients. RR was 45% (21/47), and median TTP in responders was 5.1 months. OS for all patients was 5.6 months. Response was higher in SNPs of MDR1-62, MDR1-57, or in two or more accumulated genes than in those with wild-type genes. OS was significantly longer in patients with two or more accumulated SNPs (P = .039). Response rate and OS were significantly higher in patients with two or more accumulated SNPs.