Related Experiment Videos
COX-2 expression in rectal carcinoma: immunohistochemical pattern and clinical outcome
Sven Petersen1, Gunter Haroske, Gunter Hellmich
1Department of General and Abdominal Surgery, Georg Schmorl General Hospital Dresden-Friedrichstadt, Technical University of Dresden, Germany. petersen-sv@.khdf.de
Background:
Increasing evidence suggests that COX-2 promotes carcinogenesis but it is controversial as to whether COX-2 expression is a prognostic factor for rectal carcinoma.
Materials And Methods:
Data of 62 consecutive patients with rectal carcinoma in UICC-stages I-III, which were curatively resected between 1995 and 1996, were analyzed. The paraffin-embedded tumor samples were stained for COX-2 expression. A labeling index of stained cells was calculated and the median COX- 2 labeling index was used as the cut-offpoint for statistical analysis.
Results:
The median labeling index was 0.58 (SD +/- 0.25). The Chi-square test revealed no correlation between COX-2 overexpression and the established prognostic factors. In the univariate analysis, COX-2 did not show significance according to the endpoints, local recurrence (p=0.41), disease-specific survival (p=0.28) or overall-survival (p=0.69). In contrast increased COX-2 level was a significant prognostic factor for pulmonary metastasis (p=0.04).
Discussion:
COX-2 expression lacked significance as a prognostic factor for local control and survivaL However, there is evidence that COX-2 might be linked to an increased risk of hematogenous metastatic spread.