Clinical significance of ERCC2 haplotype-tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms in patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy.

Abstract

e19156Background: DNA repair pathway is a crucial molecular mechanism potentially involved in resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy in the unresectable non-small cell lung cancer. Furthermore, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes in the ERCC2 gene are thought to be associated with the risk of developing lung cancer and clinical outcomes. Methods: We genotyped 8 ERCC2 htSNPs for 129 unresectable NSCLC (stage IIIA, 12; stage III, 36; stage IV, 82) cases treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Clinical characteristics, treatment outcomes, and predictive value of htSNPs in patient response, survival, and chemotherapy-related adverse events were analyzed according to each ERCC2 htSNP using chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazard model. Results: No differences were observed in patient or disease characteristics and response according to ERCC2 htSNPs. In a survival analysis, rs50872 was significantly related to overall survival (OS) (log-rank test, p=0.014). The median survival duration of rs50872 G/G, A/G, and A/A genotypes was 35.75 (95% confidence interval [CI] 21.05-50.45), 36.07 (hazard ratio[HR] 1.02, 95% CI 25.20-46.94), and 16.75 (HR 3.49, 95% CI 5.73-27.77) months, respectively. A significant association was observed between grade 3-4 infections and poor survival: OS in patients with a grade 0-2 infection: 35.75 months (95% CI 28.15-43.35); OS in patients with a grade 3-4 infection: 12.86 months (95% CI 8.99-16.72, HR 3.57) (log-rank test, p<0.001). In a subgroup analysis, rs238405 genotype was significantly related to OS in the taxane-based group. However, rs238416 genotype was significantly associated with OS in the gemcitabine-based group. Conclusions: ERCC2 htSNPs rs50872 (overall), rs238405 (taxane-based group), and rs238416 (gemcitabine-based group) and infection related to first-line chemotherapy were associated with OS in unresectable NSCLC patients treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. However, additional large prospective studies focusing on the role of ERCC2 htSNPs in unresectable NSCLC are needed.