DNA Repair Biomarker Profiling of Head and Neck Cancer: Ku80 Expression Predicts Locoregional Failure and Death following Radiotherapy

Abstract

Ku80 overexpression is a common feature of HNSCC, and is a candidate DNA repair-related biomarker for radiation treatment failure and death, particularly in patients with high-risk HPV-negative disease. It is a promising, mechanistically rational biomarker to select individual HPV-negative HNSCC patients for strategies to intensify treatment.