High serum superoxide dismutase activity improves radiation-related quality of life in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy and volume-modulated arc therapy have become the main treatments for esophageal carcinoma; however, side effects caused by radiotherapy greatly impact the quality of life in these patients. This study aimed to explore the impact of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels on the prognosis of patients with ESCC undergoing radiotherapy. METHODS: Patients aged between 18 and 80 years with lower-middle ESCC who underwent radiotherapy were eligible for this assessment. Adverse events, responses, treatment outcomes, and overall survival (OS) were assessed. Between 2012 and 2014, 195 patients were enrolled, of which 65 were assigned to the low- and high-SOD groups based on their serum SOD values. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups, except for the T staging. Adverse events in the low-SOD group were significantly higher than those in the high-SOD group (radiation esophagitis, p =0.007; radiation pneumonitis, p =0.032; leukopenia, p =0.023; thrombocytopenia, p =0.037; anemia, p =0.041). There were no significant differences in response, treatment outcomes, or OS. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, high serum SOD activity improved post-radiotherapy quality of life but did not impact the prognosis of patients with ESCC. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report that serum SOD activity is associated with radiation-induced toxicity and moderately increased radiotherapeutic response in patients with ESCC undergoing radiotherapy.

Clinical Analysis of Severe Radiation Pneumonia

“…All 3 patients with lung cancer requiring tracheal intubation died. The patient mortality rate in our department was lower than the mortality rate The steroid therapy dose and duration are unclear; the usual recommended dose is 40 mg of prednisone daily; [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] no distinction is made between patients with mild RP and patients with severe RP. In the present study, one patient with lung cancer and severe RP who was administered a daily dose of 40 mg methylprednisolone gradually deteriorated; however, his/her condition improved significantly with the daily administration of 80 mg methylprednisolone.…”

ORC6, a novel prognostic biomarker, correlates with T regulatory cell infiltration in prostate adenocarcinoma: a pan-cancer analysis

“…We identified a positive correlation between ORC6 expression and the immune infiltration level of CD8 + T-cells in tumors of KIRC and UVM, while a statistical negative correlation between ORC6 expression and the immune infiltration level of cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor endothelial cells, and Treg cells in certain tumors by means of multiple immune deconvolution methods. Previous studies have demonstrated that immune cell infiltration may contribute to tumorigenesis, development, and metastasis [ 47 – 49 ]. Cancer-associated fibroblasts are the most abundant cancer stromal cells that induce tumor cell proliferation, therapeutic resistance and immune exclusion [ 50 , 51 ].…”

Targeting the Antioxidant Enzymes for the Treatment of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Induced Cancer

“…These are reports to show that the radio-sensitizing effects are independent of SOD; in such cases, the sensitizing effects are mediated through inhibition of AKT and DNA-PKs (Florczak et al 2009). Elevated levels of circulating SOD improved the quality of life in patients with esophageal cell carcinoma and receiving radiotherapy (Xue et al 2021). Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, a side effect observed in cancer patients receiving radiotherapy, is associated with reduced activities of SOD in lung tissue.…”