Association of HIF1-α gene polymorphisms with advanced non-small cell lung cancer prognosis in patients receiving radiation therapy

We investigated the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HIF1A gene and the prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing radiation therapy. Patient overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed. The rs11549465 TT genotype was associated with poor PFS (P<0.001) and OS (P=0.001). The rs2057482 TT genotype was also associated with poor PFS (P=0.002) and OS (P=0.007). Stratified analyses revealed that these associations occurred in patients with a smoking history, squamous cell carcinoma, and stage IIIA disease, as well as those receiving radiation therapy a radiation dose of ≥70 Gy. We found associations between SNPs and PFS but not OS in patients without a smoking history, other histological types, and stage IIIB disease, as well as those undergoing chemoradiotherapy with a radiation dose of <70 Gy. No associations were observed between rs11549467 or rs110873142 and NSCLC prognosis. These results suggest that HIF1A polymorphisms can be used as independent prognostic biomarkers for NSCLC patients receiving radiation therapy.