Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is a significant global health burden, and individualized treatment approaches are necessary due to its heterogeneity. Radiotherapy is a common treatment modality; however, the response varies among patients. The identification of reliable biomarkers to predict radiotherapy sensitivity is crucial. METHODS: A cohort of 189 patients with stage IB2-IVA cervical cancer, treated with radiotherapy alone or concurrent chemoradiotherapy, was included. Serum samples were collected before treatment, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) concentrations were determined. Patients were categorized into radiotherapy-sensitive (RS) and radiotherapy-resistant (RR) groups based on treatment response. Clinicopathological characteristics and survival rates were analyzed. RESULTS: The analysis of clinicopathological characteristics showed that age, family history of cervical cancer and post-menopausal status did not significantly differ between RS and RR groups. Tumor size demonstrated a borderline significant association with radiotherapy response, while differentiation degree was significantly associated. Serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 concentrations were significantly higher in the RR group compared to the RS group. Combined detection of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 improved the predictive ability for radiotherapy sensitivity. Higher serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels were observed in patients with lower tumor differentiation. Five-year overall survival rates differed significantly between patients with high and low ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels. CONCLUSION: Serum ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels show potential as predictive biomarkers for radiotherapy sensitivity in cervical cancer.