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Updated: Mar 28, 2026
Isolation and Characterization of a Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Subpopulation Having Stem Cell Characteristics
Published on: May 11, 2016
External validation of sTWEAK as a prognostic noninvasive biomarker for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Ximena Terra1, David Gómez2, Jacinto García-Lorenzo3,4
1MoBioFood Research Group, Biochemistry and Biotechnology Department, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Campus Sescel·lades, Tarragona, Spain.
Background:
The main purpose of this study was to validate the prognostic significance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using an independent cohort.
Methods:
Data were evaluated from 153 patients with HNSCC in stages III to IV, who received radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy. We quantified soluble TWEAK (sTWEAK) in pretreatment samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
Results:
The classification tree revealed a cutoff value of 322 pg/mL for sTWEAK to be ideal for discriminating between patients' disease control. Kaplan-Meier curves indicate that the disease-free survival rate in patients with high sTWEAK was significantly higher than in patients with low levels (p = .006, log-rank test). An independent link was identified between low sTWEAK and poor clinical outcome in Cox regression multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 1.866; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.114-3.125; p = .001).
Conclusion:
Our study highlights the significance of this noninvasive biomarker in the discrimination according to the disease control achieved by patients who received a nonsurgical organ-preservation treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1358-E1363, 2016.
