CCND1 Amplification Predicts Sensitivity to Chemotherapy and Chemoradiotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Cyclin D1 has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Patients and Methods: FISH was performed on 58 patients. Thirty-two received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) as primary treatment and 21 with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPC) received chemoradiotherapy. Results: CCND1 amplification was identified in 31 (53%) patients and the incidence was higher in HPC (p=0.0068). Four (31%) out of 13 patients with CCND1 amplification responded to NAC whereas the response rate in the non-amplified group was 79% (p=0.011). CCND1 amplification with a homogeneously staining region (HSR) was accompanied by cyclin D1 protein overexpression (p<0.0001). HPC showed HSR more frequently (p=0.033) and the survival rate of the subgroup with HSR was lower than that without (p<0.05). Conclusion: Detection of CCND1 amplification using FISH may be a useful marker of sensitivity to NAC and chemoradiotherapy for HNSCC.