ERCC1 (excision repair cross-complementing 1) expression in pT2 gallbladder cancer is a prognostic factor

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a leading cause of cancer death in Chilean women.
• The prognostic role of excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) in GBC remains uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the expression of ERCC1 in GBC.
• To evaluate the significance of ERCC1 as a prognostic factor in GBC patients.

Main Methods:

• Tissue microarrays from 200 GBCs and 50 non-malignant gallbladders were analyzed.
• ERCC1 expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry in 190 GBC cases.
• Correlations between ERCC1 expression, clinicopathological features, and patient survival were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Normal gallbladder epithelium exhibited intense ERCC1 expression (95%).
• ERCC1 expression was detected in 53% of GBC tumors.
• Higher ERCC1 expression correlated with better tumor differentiation (p<0.05).
• ERCC1-positive patients with stage pT2 GBC showed significantly better survival (p=0.005) and a 6-fold lower mortality risk compared to ERCC1-negative patients.

Conclusions:

• ERCC1 is expressed in GBC, with reduced expression in less differentiated tumors.
• ERCC1 expression is a significant positive prognostic factor for stage pT2 GBC patients.
• ERCC1 may serve as a valuable biomarker for predicting survival in early-stage GBC.