Duffy SA et al. - In a study to assess whether increased pretreatment serum interleukin (IL)-6 levels among pts with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) correlate with poor prognosis, it was found that pretreatment serum IL-6 could be a valuable biomarker for predicting recurrence and overall survival among HNSCC pts. Using IL-6 as a biomarker for recurrence and survival may allow for earlier identification and treatment of disease relapse Methods
A longitudinal, prospective cohort study determined the correlation between pretreatment serum IL-6 levels, and tumor recurrence and all-cause survival in 444 previously untreated HNSCC pts
Control variables included age, sex, smoking, cancer site and stage, and comorbidities
Kaplan-Meier plots and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to study the association between IL-6 levels, control variables, and time to recurrence and survival
Results
Median serum IL-6 level was 13 pg/mL
The 2-year recurrence rate was 35.2%; the 2-year death rate was 26.5%
Multivariate analyses showed that serum IL-6 levels independently predicted recurrence at significant levels as did cancer site
Serum IL-6 level was also a significant independent predictor of poor survival, as were older age, smoking, cancer site (oral/sinus), higher cancer stage, and comorbidities
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