The Prognostic Significance of FOXD1 Expression in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

It has been reported that forkhead box D1 (FOXD1) plays an established role in human early embryonic development and is broadly involved in various malignancies. However, there is limited information regarding FOXD1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This present study aimed to explore the clinical significance of FOXD1 in patients with HNSCC. Tissue microarrays of 334 primary HNSCC patients who underwent surgery between 2008 and 2010 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were investigated by immunohistochemistry regarding FOXD1 expression. χ² test was used to estimate the relationship of FOXD1 expression with clinicopathologic characteristics. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify FOXD1 expression as an independent prognostic indicator of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). FOXD1 expression is closely associated with postoperative recurrence. HNSCC patients with high FOXD1 expression have poorer prognoses than the low-expression group (p < 0.05). According to multivariate analysis, FOXD1 was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS. The results revealed that FOXD1 could be a prognostic factor for HNSCC and might serve as a potential target for novel therapies.