Overexpression of MACC1 mRNA in lung adenocarcinoma is associated with postoperative recurrence

The purpose of this study was to clarify the role and clinical significance of metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 in resected stage I non-small cell lung cancers.

Tumor specimens were collected from 146 consecutive patients who underwent a complete resection for stage I lung adenocarcinoma from 1998 to 2007 at the University of Occupational and Environmental Health. We analyzed the expression of metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 mRNA of primary lung adenocarcinomas by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

The average postoperative observation period was 49.4 months. Thirteen (8.9%) of 146 patients had recurrences after surgery. Overexpression of metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 mRNA was identified in 62 patients (42.5%). Metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 was overexpressed in 9 (69.2%) of 13 patients and 53 (39.9%) of 133 patients with and without recurrence, respectively (P = .004). The median metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 copy number was 3.0 and 1.4 in patients with and without tumor recurrence, respectively. Metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 overexpression was associated with poorer disease-free survival according to the survival analysis (P = .033).

Metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 gene overexpression may be a useful marker for predicting postoperative recurrence in patients with lung adenocarcinoma after surgery.