Prognostic capacity of the transcriptional expression of lactate dehydrogenase A in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Abstract Background To analyze the relationship between the transcriptional expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and the disease control in patients with a head and squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods We determined the transcriptional expression of LDHA in 110 HNSCC patients treated with surgery. Results Five‐year disease‐free survival for patients with a high transcriptional expression of LDHA ( n = 51) was 39.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 25.3%–53.1%), and for patients with a low expression ( n = 59), it was 63.6% (95% CI: 51.1%–76.1%) ( p = 0.004). According to the results of a multivariate analysis, patients with a high transcriptional expression of LDHA had a 3.4‐fold increased risk of tumor recurrence. Patients with a high transcriptional expression of LDHA tended to show a higher intensity of immunohistochemical expression of LDHA at the tumor cells ( p = 0.086). Conclusion In HNSCC patients treated with surgery, a high transcriptional expression of LDHA was associated with a significant decrease in disease‐free survival.