Subject(s)
Antiviral Agents/administration & dosage , Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification , Hepatitis B, Chronic/drug therapy , Nucleosides/administration & dosage , Antiviral Agents/adverse effects , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/prevention & control , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/virology , Consensus , Disease Progression , Drug Administration Schedule , Evidence-Based Medicine/standards , Gastroenterology/standards , Hepatitis B, Chronic/pathology , Hepatitis B, Chronic/virology , Humans , Liver Failure/pathology , Liver Failure/prevention & control , Liver Failure/virology , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Liver Neoplasms/prevention & control , Liver Neoplasms/virology , Nucleosides/adverse effects , Nucleosides/analogs & derivatives , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Since head and neck cancer is characterized by poor survival rates, there is a demand for novel therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers. An upcoming therapeutic target is the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) family. However, their prognostic role in head and neck cancer remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review current evidence on the prognostic value of FGFR family members in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was performed for publications up to 14 May 2014. Two reviewers screened all articles and included prognostic studies on the molecular biomarkers FGFR1-5 in any type of HNSCC. Relevant studies were assessed on risk of bias using the Quality in Prognostic Studies (QUIPS) tool. Data on FGFR aberrations and survival outcome were extracted from relevant studies. The prognostic value of FGFR aberrations was compared among studies. RESULTS: The initial search yielded 1568 publications of which 12 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Four studies reported FGFR1 gene amplification (9.3-17.4 %) and FGFR1 protein overexpression (11.8 %) in HNSCC. FGFR1 protein expression by cancer-associated fibroblasts correlated with poor survival outcome in one study (p < 0.01). Eight studies reported high rates of FGFR4 Gly388Arg polymorphisms (32.5-54.2 %) and FGFR4 protein overexpression (16-35 %), with varying correlations with survival. So far, no studies assessed the prognostic role of FGFR2, FGFR3, or FGFR5 in HNSCC. LIMITATIONS: Significant risk of bias has been identified among included studies. Therefore, cautious interpretation of the results is recommended. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, evidence was found for prognostic value of FGFR1 expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts in HNSCC. Prognostic evidence on the other FGFR family members in HNSCC is limited and conflicting. This emphasizes the need for future well-conducted prognostic studies.
Subject(s)
Biomarkers/metabolism , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis , Head and Neck Neoplasms/diagnosis , Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor/metabolism , Animals , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/therapy , Head and Neck Neoplasms/metabolism , Head and Neck Neoplasms/therapy , Humans , PrognosisABSTRACT
Quantitative sensory testing (QST) consists of several non-invasive, standardised tests aimed at examining different aspects of the entire somatosensory nervous system. Important advantages of QST over existing supplementary tests such as electromyography are the ability to test the function of thin and unmyelinated nerve fibres as well as the subjective sensation of a somatosensory stimulus. QST is validated in diagnosing small fibre neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and neuropathic pain. In scientific research, QST is useful in the study into pathophysiological mechanisms of diseases and syndromes with sensory symptoms and in the evaluation of the effect of analgesic treatment on the function of the somatosensory nervous system. In the future, QST could be a useful diagnostic and prognostic test in more forms of neuropathy and in other clinical conditions such as chronic unexplained pain syndromes (e.g. fibromyalgia and whiplash-associated disorder.
