Detection of AR-V7 transcript with RNA in situ hybridization in human salivary duct cancer

The androgen receptor (AR) is a nuclear steroid receptor that binds to testosterone and dihydrotestosterone and regulates the transcription of genes leading to cell growth, differentiation and survival. AR serves as an important oncogenic signal in prostate cancers and apocrine breast cancers. Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is a rare subtype of head and neck cancer that is defined by an apocrine phenotype, with AR positivity by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in up to 98% of cases [1]. A recent clinical trial with leuprorelin acetate and bicalutamide has shown promising activity with an overall response rate of 42% in AR-positive salivary gland cancers, but further analyses of clinicopathological factors or biomarkers including AR expression intensity, HER2 expression, EGFR expression and HRAS mutation did not show any significant association with outcomes [2].
Source: Oral Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Letter to the editor Source Type: research