Prediction of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma survival based on the expression of 15 lncRNAs

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential regulators of many cancer‐related processes, including cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. There is thus a reason to believe that the detection of lncRNAs may be useful as a diagnostic and prognostic strategy for cancer detection, however, at present no effective genome‐wide tests are available for clinical use, constraining the use of such a strategy. In this study, we performed a comprehensive assessment of lncRNAs expressed in samples in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cohort available in The Cancer Genome Atlas database. A risk score (RS) model was constructed based on the expression data of these 15 lncRNAs in the validation data set of HNSCC patients and was subsequently validated in validation data set and the entire data set. We were able to stratify patients into high‐ and low‐risk categories, using our lncRNA expression panel to determine an RS, with significant differences in overall survival (OS) between these two groups in our test set (median survival, 1.863 vs. 5.484 years; log‐rank test, p < 0.001). We were able to confirm the predictive value of our 15‐lncRNA signature using both a validation data set and a full data set, finding our signature to be reproducible and effective as a means of predicting HNSCC patient OS. Through the multivariate Cox regression and stratified analyses, we were further able to confirm that the predictive value of this RS was independent of other predictive factors such as clinicopathological parameters. The Gene set enrichment analysis revealed potential functional roles for these 15 lncRNAs in tumor progression. Our findings indicate that an RS established based on a panel of lncRNA expression signatures can effectively predict OS and facilitate patient stratification in HNSCC.

Novel Prognostic Model Based on Immune Signature for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…In fact, accurate prognosis, therapeutic strategy, and identification of oncogenes were encumbered by unexpected heterogeneity in HNSCC. This complex heterogeneity may signify the difficulty to accurately predict patient outcomes in tumors that have not yet metastasized, due to the resistance of certain normal-looking cells to targeted therapies or their ability to generate and promote metastasis [ 10 ]. The main purpose of immunotherapy is to eradicate cancer cells by increasing the activity of the immune system [ 11 ].…”

Molecular characterization of breast cancer: a potential novel immune-related lncRNAs signature

“…LncRNA AC025580.2 has a positive influence on immune escape in pancreatic cancer [ 27 ]. In addition, a large number of lncRNAs have been confirmed to act as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or potential therapeutic targets in multiple tumors [ 11 , 28 – 32 ]. However, the role of immune-related lncRNAs (IRLs) in the prognostic evaluation of BC remains unclear.…”

Prognostic 4‑lncRNA‑based risk model predicts survival time of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

“…Another report identified a 5-lncRNA based model for predicting the survival of patients with HNSCC, in which a weighted correlation network analysis was used to identify prognosis-associated lncRNAs (35). A recent study by Zhang et al (36) identified 15 prognostic lncRNAs using a differentially expressed gene analysis, in which ALMS1-IT1 was the common lncRNA and the others were different from the lncRNAs used for the construction of the predictive model. The present study utilized a robust likelihood-based survival analysis to screen for candidate lncRNAs associated with prognosis (15–17,37,38) and identified a 4-lncRNA risk model, which includes lncRNAs that had not been previously reported.…”