Quantification of excision repair cross complementing group 1 (ERCC1) and survival in p16-negative squamous cell head and neck cancers

摘要

PurposeMultimodality treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) often involves radiation (RT) and cisplatin-based therapy. Elevated activity of DNA repair mechanisms, such as the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway, of which ERCC1 is a rate-limiting element, are associated with cisplatin and possibly RT resistance. We have determined ERCC1 expression in HPV-negative SCCHN treated with surgery (+/− adjuvant RT/chemoradiation (CRT)).