Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Detection of a Circulating MicroRNA Custom Panel in Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Published on: March 14, 2019
Cytoplasmic expression of p27(kip1) is associated with a favourable prognosis in colorectal cancer patients
Nicholas F S Watson1, Lindy G Durrant, John H Scholefield
1Section of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University of Nottingham, E Floor, West Block, Queens Medical Centre, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, United Kingdom. nicholas.watson@nottingham.ac.uk
Aim:
To evaluate the prognostic significance of p27(kip1) in colorectal cancer patients.
Methods:
Cytoplasmic and nuclear p27(kip1) expression was evaluated in 418 colorectal cancers using tissue microarrays. Data were associated with known patient and tumor variables and long-term patient outcomes, providing further insight into the mechanisms by which p27(kip1) may influence tumor development.
Results:
Nuclear and cytoplasmic p27(kip1) expressions were detected in 59% and 19% of tumors respectively. Cytoplasmic p27(kip1) was almost invariably associated with positive nuclear p27(kip1) expression. Neither case correlated with known clinical or pathological variables, including tumor stage, grade or extramural vascular invasion. Furthermore, nuclear p27(kip1) expression had no impact on survival. However, we identified a significant correlation between expression of cytoplasmic p27(kip1) and longer disease-specific survival times. On multivariate analysis, TNM stage and extramural vascular invasion were highly significant independent prognostic factors, with positive cytoplasmic p27 expression showing a trend towards improved patient survival (P = 0.059).
Conclusion:
These findings support the recent evidence that cytoplasmic p27(kip1) has a distinct and important biological role that can influence tumor outcome.
Related Concept Videos
Abnormal Proliferation
Inhibition of Cdk Activity
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Negative Regulator Molecules
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...