Evaluation of repair gene ERCC1 polymorphism and immunolocalization of its protein in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck tumors. Correlation with clinical parameters, radiation therapy response and adverse effects, and survival

Abstract

The cancer of the head and neck covers a heterogeneous group of malignancies. The Squamous cell carcinoma represents more than 90% of malignancies found in this anatomical region and is a major public health problems in many parts of the world, particularly in Brazil. The gene ERCC1 was the first cloned gene that acts specifically in the process of repair by the nucleotide excision. The protein ERCC1 presents the role of an enzyme endonuclease, which recognises the modified DNA, the incisa this segment and enables the repair. The aims of this study are to evaluate whether the immunohistochemical expression of ERCC1 protein in samples of ERCC1 Squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (CECP) and ERCC1 polymorphism of the gene may represent some predictive value on the response to radiotherapy treatment after surgery, the clinical and biologic behavior of injuries and survival of patients with the disease. They will be studied retrospectively the patients with CECP submitted to treatment in Montes Claros city - Minas Gerais, both in the public network and in the private network, the services of Clinical Oncology, Surgery and Radiotherapy for Head and Neck in the period January 1996 to April 2007. Patients undergoing surgery for tumors of head and neck, followed by radiotherapy, and with at least three years of follow-up, will be object of the study. Histopathological analyses will be reviewed at the Laboratory of Oral Pathology at University Hospital Clemente Faria, the State University of Montes Claros - Unimontes. Results laboratory, clinical and epidemiological will be submitted to the specific statistical treatments and correlated. (AU)