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Published on: July 21, 2018

Phospho-Akt overexpression in non-small cell lung cancer confers significant stage-independent survival disadvantage

Odile David1, James Jett, Helena LeBeau

  • 1Department of Pathology, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. odavid@tulane.edu

Clinical Cancer Research : an Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research
|October 27, 2004
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Overexpression of phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is linked to poorer patient survival. This finding suggests pAkt as a potential target for new lung cancer therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Akt is a key protein inhibiting apoptosis in cancer cells, contributing to chemoresistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • Chemotherapy response rates in NSCLC patients remain low, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic targets.
  • Activated Akt, specifically phosphorylated Akt (pAkt), is implicated in cancer progression and treatment resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between the overexpression of phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) and patient survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • To determine if pAkt serves as a prognostic factor in NSCLC.

Main Methods:

  • Tumor samples from 61 NSCLC patients were analyzed using tissue microarrays.
  • Immunohistochemistry was employed to assess the expression levels of pAkt, p53, and Ki-67.
  • Patient survival data was collected over a 10-year period.

Main Results:

  • A statistically significant difference in survival was observed between patients with strong pAkt staining and those with weak or absent staining (P = 0.0416).
  • pAkt status remained a significant prognostic factor for survival, even after adjusting for cancer stage (P = 0.004).
  • Neither p53 nor Ki-67 expression levels showed a statistically significant correlation with patient survival.

Conclusions:

  • Overexpression of phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) is an independent prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • These findings support the potential of pAkt as a therapeutic target for developing novel, tumor-specific treatments for NSCLC.
  • Further research into targeted therapies against pAkt in NSCLC is warranted.

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