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We evaluated the prognostic significance of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 protein (ERCC1) and thymidylate synthase (TS) in patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Pre-treatment tumor biopsy specimens from 41 patients with locally advanced NPC (stage I: 1, II: 10, III: 9, IV: 21 patients) were analyzed for ERCC1 and TS expression by immunohistochemistry. All patients were treated with one cycle of induction chemotherapy (5-fluorouracil 1000 mg/m(2)/day and cisplatin 20mg/m(2)/day, days 1-4) followed by CCRT starting on day 22. CCRT consisted of radiotherapy (70 Gy/35 fractions for 7 weeks) with cisplatin 20mg/m(2)/day for 4 days on weeks 1, 4, and 7 of radiotherapy. High expression of ERCC1 and TS was observed in 25 (60%) and 21 (51%) patients, respectively. High expression of ERCC1 was associated with WHO type 1 or 2 histology (p=0.045). With a median follow-up duration of 106 months (32-152 months) in survivors, the 5-year overall survival (OS) of all patients was 53%. In univariate analysis, 5-year OS (73% versus 39%, p=0.005) was significantly inferior in patients with high expression of ERCC1, while high expression of TS was not correlated with patient outcome. In multivariate analysis, high expression of ERCC1 was a significant independent prognostic factor for poor OS (p=0.029) along with WHO type 1 or 2 histology. High expression of ERCC1 protein may be a useful prognostic factor for poor outcome in patients with locally advanced NPC treated with CCRT.

Bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ) is a rare, but serious, side effect of bisphosphonate therapy that produces significant morbidity in affected patients. It is characterized by poor wound healing and spontaneous intra-oral soft tissue breakdown, which lead to exposure of necrotic maxillary and mandibular bone. We report a case of BRONJ in 56-year-old man who visited Ajou University Hospital Dental Clinic in March 2007. He had been diagnosed with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia in 2005 and had been treated with chemotherapeutic agents, along with concomitant pamidronate injections (45 mg monthly). The patient had clinical features of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the mandible precipitated by tooth extraction. The patient had multiple systemic risk factors, including extended duration of intravenous pamidronate therapy, chemotherapy, and glucocorticoid therapy for his malignancy. In the 6 months prior to presentation, curettage and debridement were performed repeatedly, but there was no improvement in the mandibular lesion. The patient was referred to the Endocrinology Clinic and was diagnosed with BRONJ. We discontinued pamidronate and started conservative care. BRONJ should be considered in the differential diagnosis when patients complain of poor oral wound healing or have recurrent exposure of necrotic maxillary and mandibular bone. (J Korean Endocr Soc 23:210~214, 2008)