Prognostic value of c-erbB2 and other markers in patients treated with chemotherapy for recurrent head and neck cancer

Background. Chemotherapy is widely used in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer, but no clear markers are available that can predict response to treatment or survival in these patients. Methods. Twenty-nine patients evaluated in this study had recurrent head an d neck squamous carcinomas, previously treated with surgery and/or radiothe rapy. Patients received either cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (n = 15) or cisplatin and paclitaxel (Taxol) (n = 14). Expression of c-erbB2, p53, glutathione S-transferase pi, multidrug resistance-associated protein, thym idylate synthase, and glutathione synthetase were evaluated in biopsy tissu es. Results. Response to chemotherapy was significantly correlated with improve d survival (progression-free survival, p = .0005; overall survival, p = .00 7). Of the factors examined, expression of c-erbB2 was associated with sign ificantly decreased progression-free survival (p = .023) and overall surviv al (p = .029), This was seen in patients treated with cisplatin/taxol but n ot in patients treated with cisplatin/5-FU. Conclusion. Expression of c-erbB2 may be a clinically useful predictor of s urvival in this group of patients. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.