Epigenetic Alterations Associated with the Overall Survival and Recurrence Free Survival among Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a fatal disease caused by complex interactions between environmental, genomic, and epigenetic alterations. In the current study, we aimed to identify clusters of genes whose promoter methylation status correlated with various tested clinical features. Molecular datasets of genetic and methylation analysis based on whole-genome sequencing of 159 OSCC patients were obtained from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data portal. Genes were clustered based on their methylation status and were tested for their association with demographic, pathological, and clinical features of the patients. Overall, seven clusters of genes were revealed that showed a significant association with the overall survival/recurrence free survival of patients. The top ranked genes within cluster 4, which showed the worst prognosis, primarily acted as paraneoplastic genes, while the genes within cluster 6 primarily acted as anti-tumor genes. A significant difference was found regarding the mean age in the different clusters. No significant correlation was found between the tumor staging and the different clusters. In conclusion, our result provided a proof-of-principle for the existence of phenotypic diversity among the epigenetic clusters of OSCC and demonstrated the utility of the use epigenetics alterations in devolving new prognostic and therapeutics tools for OSCC patients.

Prognostic and therapeutic prediction by screening signature combinations from transcriptome–methylome interactions in oral squamous cell carcinoma

“…It is commonly believed that epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation, can drive abnormal gene expression of crucial genes involved in the development and progression of cancer, including head and neck cancer 35 . Hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes and hypomethylation of proto-oncogenes at the promoter sites are associated with carcinogenesis and progression of OSCC 36 , 37 . For example, several studies have suggested that hypermethylation of PAX1 and ZNF582 genes is associated with aggressive progression and poor survival 38 – 40 .…”

Three-Dimensional Technology Applications in Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery: Current Surgical Implications

“…Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of oral cavity is a fatal disease caused by complex interactions between environmental, genomic and epigenetic alterations [ 61 ]. Surgical resection with microscopically clear margins of the primary tumor and prophylactic or therapeutic clearance of the neck lymph nodes, followed by various reconstructive approaches, remains the fundamental treatment for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) with adjuvant therapy reserved for high-risk disease [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ].…”

Prognostic Value of Neutrophil Percentage-to-Albumin Ratio in Patients with Oral Cavity Cancer

“…The incidence of oral cavity cancer is estimated to increase by up to 40% by 2040, with a corresponding increase in mortality also predicted [2]. Oral cavity cancer is reportedly most common in South and Southeast Asia and some countries in southern Europe [3]. Histologically, oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is by far the most frequent type of oral cavity cancer and accounts for more than 90% of cases.…”