Aim: For oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), biomarkers are much in need to predict prognosis and to overcome possible resistance mechanisms to adjuvant therapies. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum level of hemoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin as possible liquid biopsy to predict survival, metastasis and tumor relapse of OSCC.
Material and methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted. Overall, serum levels of hemoglobin, CRP and ferritin in 82 OSCC patients and 63 controls were preoperatively investigated.
Results: Patients with an anemia showed a significant lower survival than patients with no anemia preoperative. Patients with T3/T4 cancer had significant lower hemoglobin values (p = 0.002). CRP and ferritin were statistically overexpressed in late tumor stages T3/T4 (ferritin: p = 0.045, CRP: p < 0.05) compared to control. Log Rank testing indicated a statistical correlation of up regulated ferritin levels with local tumor recurrence (p = 0.012) and local lymph node metastasis (p = 0.008).
Conclusion: Presented biomarker CRP, ferritin and hemoglobin may serve as a liquid biopsy for prediction of OSCC especially for larger tumor sizes, overall survival and tumor relapse and demand a more radical therapy approach.
Keywords: C-reactive protein; Ferritin; Hemoglobin; Oral cancer; Serum biomarker.
Copyright © 2017 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.