BCL-2 expression is prognostic for improved survival in non-small cell lung cancer

We used a large patient population to identify immunohistochemical biomarkers to enable improved prognostication in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

A tissue microarray was constructed using duplicate 0.6 mm cores of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 609 patients with NSCLC. Immunohistochemical was used to detect 11 biomarkers including epidermal growth factor receptor, Her2, Her3, p53, p63, bcl-1, bcl-2, Thyroid transcription factor, carcinoembryonic antigen, chromogranin, and synaptophysin. A clinical database was generated prospectively at the time of tissue collection. Survival outcomes were obtained from a Provincial Cancer Registry database. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to look for a relationship between biomarker expression, smoking history, and survival.

Survival data for 535 cases were available. As of June 2005, 429 patients (80%) had died; of these 286 (54%) died of lung cancer, 117 (22%) died of other known causes, and for 26 (5%) the cause of death was not available. Univariate analysis revealed that bcl-2 (p = 0.007) was the only biomarker prognostic for improved overall survival (OS). bcl-2 (p = 0.021) and p63 (p = 0.025) were both found to be prognostic for improved disease-specific survival (DSS). Multivariate analysis (using age and biomarker expression) revealed that bcl-2 expression is prognostic for improved OS (p = 0.005) and DSS (p = 0.021).

Our results suggest that bcl-2 expression is prognostic for improved OS and DSS in NSCLC. Testing for bcl-2 expression in a prospective study will help to determine its clinical relevance in prognostication.