Immunohistochemical biomarkers and FDG uptake on PET/CT in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Authors

  • Gregers Brünnich Rasmussen Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Department of Oncology, Section of Radiotherapy, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Ivan R. Vogelius Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Department of Oncology, Section of Radiotherapy, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Jacob H. Rasmussen Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Department of Oncology, Section of Radiotherapy, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Lisa Schumaker University of Maryland, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Olga Ioffe University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Kevin Cullen University of Maryland, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Barbara Malene Fischer Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and PET, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Marianne Hamilton Therkildsen Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Department of Pathology, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Lena Specht Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Department of Oncology, Section of Radiotherapy, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Søren M. Bentzen Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Department of Oncology, Section of Radiotherapy, Copenhagen, Denmark; University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland; University of Maryland, Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, Baltimore, Maryland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3109/0284186X.2015.1062539

Abstract

Background. There is an exciting complementarity between the spatial resolution provided by molecular imaging of a single, often unspecific, biomarker on one hand and the more detailed biological profile achievable from a diagnostic biopsy using a panel of immunohistochemical (IHC) markers on the other. A number of previous studies have shown a relationship between glucose transport protein expression and 18F-Fludeoxyglucose (FDG) PET uptake. Here, FDG uptake is analyzed in relation to expression of a selected panel of IHC cancer biomarkers in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).

Material and methods. IHC staining for Bcl-2, β-tubulin-1 and 2, p53, EGFR, Ki-67, glutathione-S-transferase-π and p16 was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded diagnostic biopsies from 102 HNSCC cases treated at Rigshospitalet during 2005–2009. The proportion of positive cells was used for analyses, except p16, which was scored according to EORTC guidelines. In all cases, maximal FDG standardized uptake value (SUV) metrics were extracted for the primary tumor, TSUVmax. Univariate linear regression and multiple linear regression of TSUVmax versus IHC markers were performed.

Results. In univariate analyses, TSUVmax showed negative associations with Bcl-2 (p = 0.002) and p16 (p = 0.005) indices and positive association with β-tubulin-1 index (p = 0.003). On multivariate analysis, TSUVmax remained associated with β-tubulin-1 (p = 0.009), Bcl-2 (p = 0.03) and p16 (p = 0.03). All correlations had r-squared < 0.3.

Conclusion. Statistically significant correlations were observed between the expression of IHC biomarkers and maximum FDG uptake in the primary tumor.

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Published

2015-10-21

How to Cite

Brünnich Rasmussen, G., Vogelius, I. R., Rasmussen, J. H., Schumaker, L., Ioffe, O., Cullen, K., … Bentzen, S. M. (2015). Immunohistochemical biomarkers and FDG uptake on PET/CT in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Acta Oncologica, 54(9), 1408–1415. https://doi.org/10.3109/0284186X.2015.1062539

Issue

Vol. 54 No. 9 (2015): Acta Oncologica

Section

Articles