RESUMO
Background: In recent years, abnormalities in plasma omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs) have been proven to be related to the risk of cancer, but their prognostic value for cancer is unclear. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the response and prognostic significance of plasma omega-3 PUFAs in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between omega-3 PUFAs and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) levels. Methods: A total of 89 patients with CSCC who underwent CCRT were evaluated retrospectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent predictors related to complete response (CR) after CCRT. A Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier analysis were utilized to perform survival analysis. Results: According to multivariate logistic regression analyses, a high level of plasma EPA was independently correlated with an increased incidence of CR after CCRT (odds ratio (OR), 0.980; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.962-0.999, p = 0.038). With a median follow-up of 41.3 months, the CSCC patients in the high EPA (≥46.0 nmol/mL) group exhibited longer OS and PFS. According to our multivariate analysis, pretreatment plasma EPA level was an independent prognostic factor for PFS in patients with CSCC who underwent CCRT (hazard ratio (HR), 0.263; 95% CI, 0.089-0.782, p = 0.016). However, it was not an independent prognostic factor of OS. Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed was a negative correlation between pretreatment SCC-Ag (pre SCC-Ag) levels and EPA levels (r = -0.305, p = 0.004), and a weak negative correlation between posttreatment SCC-Ag (post SCC-Ag) levels and EPA levels (r = -0.251, p = 0.018). Conclusion: Plasma omega-3 PUFAs are related to the response and survival outcome of patients with CSCC who underwent CCRT. Pretreatment plasma EPA levels may be a promising biomarker for predicting the response and prognosis of patients with CSCC who undergo CCRT. In addition, the pretreatment plasma EPA levels presented a negative correlation with the SCC-Ag levels.
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Background: Epidemiology has demonstrated that plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) can prevent the development of cancer. Our study sought to evaluate the relationship between plasma (FFA) levels and cervical cancer. Methods: In recent years, metabolomics-based approaches have been recognized as an emerging tool, so we examined the plasma FFA profiles of 114 patients with cervical cancer and 151 healthy people using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods. Results: The data results were analyzed by multifactorial binary logistic regression analysis, and it was found that palmitic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and total ω-3 fatty acids were negatively correlated with the risk of cervical cancer; whereas tetracosanoic acid was positively correlated with the risk of cervical cancer (OR, 1.026; 95% CI, 1.013-1.040; p < 0.001). Dynamic follow-up of 40 cervical cancer patients who successfully completed CCRT revealed that most fatty acid levels tended to increase after the end of treatment, except for palmitic and stearic acid levels, which were lower than before treatment. Conclusion: Plasma FFA profiles were altered in cervical cancer patients, which may be related to abnormal fatty acid metabolism in cervical cancer. The described changes in fatty acid profiles during CCRT may be related to the good functioning of CCRT. Further studies on plasma FFA composition and its changes due to CCRT in patients with cervical cancer are warranted.
RESUMO
Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignancies in women. Cancer cells can use metabolic reprogramming to produce macromolecules and ATP needed to sustain cell growth, division and survival. Recent evidence suggests that fatty acid metabolism and its related lipid metabolic pathways are closely related to the malignant progression of CC. In particular, it involves the synthesis, uptake, activation, oxidation, and transport of fatty acids. Similarly, more and more attention has been paid to the effects of intracellular lipolysis, transcriptional regulatory factors, other lipid metabolic pathways and diet on CC. This study reviews the latest evidence of the link between fatty acid metabolism and CC; it not only reveals its core mechanism but also discusses promising targeted drugs for fatty acid metabolism. This study on the complex relationship between carcinogenic signals and fatty acid metabolism suggests that fatty acid metabolism will become a new therapeutic target in CC.
