Title: A Prospective Study to Assess the Role of Delta Np63 as a Molecular Marker in Blood for Early Diagnosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer at a Tertiary Care Centre in North India
Authors: Abhinav Arun Sonkar, Shailendra Kumar Yadav, Vivek Gupta, Neetu Singh, Sunil Nayak, Kush Pathak
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i3.16
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
Esophageal carcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers with highly aggressive potency, ranking as the sixth most common cancer among males and ninth most common cancer among females globally. Due to metastasis and invasion of surrounding tissues in early stage, the 5-year overall survival rate (14%) of esophageal cancer remains poor, even in comparison with the dismal survival rates (4%) from the 1970s1. Detection of point mutations, microsatellite alterations, DNA hypermethylations and losses of heterozygosity in circulating cell free DNA have been characterized in esophagus cancer2. Application of circulating cell free DNA as a biomarker, provide the best opportunity for constructing non-invasive tests for early detection, prognosis and management of cancer patients3.
The p63 gene is critical for the development of stratified squamous epithelium, and Np63 is the predominant isotype within this tissue studies of squamous cell cancers demonstrate amplific-ation of the p63 gene locus and overexpression of p63, particularly Np63, at the protein and mRNA levels4. In this study, blood samples obtained from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients (both primary cases (resected and non resected) and those with recurrence) were assayed for expression of delta NP63 at a teriary care centre in North India.
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