Endoplasmic reticulum stress induction and response to chemoradiation in cervical cancer

Objective: Malignancy and hypoxia are known inducers of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, which may in turn affect a tumor's response to radiotherapy. Glucose regulated protein (GRP)-78 is a key modulator of ER stress through apoptotic and protein folding mechanisms. We hypothesize that ER stress induction at cervical cancer diagnosis is associated with a diminished response to definitive chemoradiation.