GRIM-19 expression and its correlation with clinical outcomes of an induction chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN)

5519 Background: GRIM-19 is a novel gene associated with retinoid-interferon induced mortality (GRIM). The expression and function of GRIM-19 in SCCHN have not been reported to date. This study examined the expression of this gene and correlated it with the treatment outcomes in patients with locally advanced SCCHN. Methods: Thirty-nine baseline tumor tissues were collected from 54 patients who entered in a phase II study of induction chemotherapy with Paclitaxel, Ifosfamide, and Carboplatin (TIC) for locally advanced SCCHN. Immunohistochemistry analysis was performed for GRIM-19 expression using paraffin-embedded tumor specimens collected before the treatment. Weight index [WI = % Positive Staining (> 0) in tumor × Intensity Score, 0 - 300] was used for quantifying expression levels. Correlations between GRIM-19 expression and clinical characteristics were also evaluated. Results: The characteristics of the 39 patients are: median age: 58 years old; male 33/female 6; stage III 6/IV 33; tumor sites (Oral ...