GDF15 as a potential predictive biomarker for TPF induction chemotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma

6037 Background: Randomized trials have not shown major survival benefits when induction chemotherapy plus standard therapy is compared with standard therapy alone in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Induction chemotherapy is likely to be effective for biologically distinct subgroups and biomarker development may lead to identification of patients whose tumors are likely to respond to a particular treatment. Methods: We evaluated immunohistochemical staining for GDF15 in pretreatment biopsy specimens of 230 out of 256 OSCC patients who were treated in a prospective, randomized, phase three trial on induction chemotherapy including docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TPF). Relationship between GDF15 intervention and cell proliferation, migration, invasion, colony formation, and tumorigenicity was analyzed using in vitro and in vivo OSCC models. Results: LowGDF15 expression predicts a better survival in OSCC patients, especially overall survival (P=0.049, HR=0.597) and distant metasta...