A gene signature associated with prognosis and immune processes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has a poor prognosis that has not significantly improved in the past several decades. A prognostic-related signature was needed. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas and GSE41613 databases were downloaded as a training and validation set, respectively. We identified 12 genes that demonstrated progression and prognostic value, and then, a gene signature was constructed. RESULTS: This classification could reflect distinct characteristics, phenotypically and molecularly, among HNSCC tumors. It could stratify patients with significantly different survival rates (median survival: 2083 days vs 927 days; P = 3.85E-08) in the training cohort and validation cohort (P = 0.007) and was significantly involved in immune/inflammatory response and tumor progression processes. CONCLUSIONS: This bioinformatics-based signature suggested the presence of two distinct populations of patients with HNSCC with distinguishable phenotypic characteristics and clinical outcomes and might provide insight for new types of immune therapy.