187P - Organoid growth-based oncological sensitivity test (OncoSensi) for predicting radiation therapy outcomes in pharyngeal and esophageal cancer

Background

Determining the radiosensitivity of an individual patient is pivotal in formulating an effective treatment strategy. However, the challenge has been the lack of reliable and clinically relevant predictive models for assessing radiosensitivity. In this study, we introduce a novel cancer organoid-based model called OncoSensi (Organoid Growth-based Oncological Sensitivity Test), which aims to predict an individual's response to radiotherapy and evaluate the risk of recurrence in patients with pharyngeal and esophageal cancer.

Methods

Biopsy tissues from 18 esophageal cancer patients and 14 pharyngeal cancer patients were dissociated into single cells and cultured on pillar plates with extracellular matrix (ECM) to establish cancer organoids array for high throughput radiation screening. These organoids were subsequently exposed to radiation doses of 2, 4, and 8 Gy. Post-irradiation, viable organoids were stained with calcein AM to assess survival. The area under the curve (AUC) and growth rate were calculated from viability data to determine the radiation sensitivity of each patient's organoids. Additionally, the patient's cancer stage score was integrated with these two parameters to generate the OncoSensi model and radiosensitivity prediction index.

Results

When individual parameters, such as the patient's AUC (conventional method), were employed, the radiation sensitivity prediction model showed specificity and sensitivity ranging from 50% to 70%. However, the organoid growth-based Oncological Sensitivity Test (OncoSensi) notably improved specificity to over 80% and sensitivity to over 80% in patients with pharyngeal and esophageal cancer. Additionally, OncoSensi identified a radiation-resistant group with a recurrence rate of over 50% within one year, distinguishing it significantly from the radiosensitive group in both pharyngeal and esophageal cancer patients.

Conclusions

Hence, the proposed OncoSensi proves valuable in predicting radiation response and recurrence among patients before undergoing radiation therapy for pharyngeal and esophageal cancers. It holds promise for application in precision medical platforms.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

D.W. Lee.

Funding

Medical & Bio Decision.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.