Salt Inducible Kinase (SIK-1) as a Predictive Biomarker in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Insights into Treatment Efficacy and Patient Survival

Background: Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a challenging malignancy, and identifying effective treatment strategies and reliable biomarkers is crucial. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy on treatment outcomes, as well as to assess the potential of SIK-1 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in LSCC. Methods: A total of 108 patients with locally advanced LSCC were treated with induction chemotherapy followed by definitive radiotherapy. Treatment responses were assessed, and SIK-1 expression levels were analyzed in tumor and adjacent normal tissues using quantitative real-time PCR. The associations between SIK-1 expression and clinicopathological factors, treatment outcomes, and survival were evaluated. Results: Induction chemotherapy resulted in a 29.6% complete response rate, 50% partial response, and 20.4% stable disease. After chemoradiotherapy, the complete response rate increased to 64%. SIK-1 expression was significantly lower in LSCC compared to adjacent normal tissues (p<0.0001), and its levels correlated with age, sex, performance status, tumor grade, stage, and treatment response (all p<0.0001). Patients with higher SIK-1 expression exhibited improved overall and disease-free survival. Conclusion: The combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy approach demonstrated promising tumor control and laryngeal preservation in LSCC patients. SIK-1 emerged as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, with its expression levels associated with key clinicopathological factors and treatment outcomes. These findings warrant further validation and exploration of SIK-1's mechanistic role in LSCC, which could enhance personalized management strategies for this complex malignancy.