PTEN Is Associated With Worse Local Control in Early Stage Supraglottic Laryngeal Cancer Treated With Radiotherapy

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to establish the prognostic value of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) expression on local control in patients with early stage supraglottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) treated with radiotherapy only. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining for EGFR and PTEN was performed on pretreatment biopsies of a selected well‐defined homogeneous group of 52 patients with T1–T2 supraglottic LSCC treated with radiotherapy between 1990 and 2008. Kaplan–Meier analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox Regression analyses were performed to correlate clinical data and expression levels of EGFR and PTEN with local control. RESULTS: Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox Regression analysis showed a significant association between PTEN expression and local control (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14–9.33, P = .027) and between lymph node status and local control (HR = 3.60, 95% CI = 1.26–10.31, P = .017). Both were independent prognostic factors in a multivariate analysis (HR = 3.28, 95% CI = 1.14–9.39, P = .027 and HR = 3.62, 95% CI = 1.26–10.37, P = .017, respectively). There was no significant association between EGFR expression and local control (HR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.17–10.14, P = .79). CONCLUSION: This study showed an association between both high PTEN expression and the presence of lymph node metastasis and deteriorated local control in early stage supraglottic LSCC treated with radiotherapy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA