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Updated: May 24, 2026
Development of Compendium for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Published on: April 12, 2024
Tumoral CRP expression in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancers is associated with poor outcomes
Toshinobu Nakatsu1, Satoru Motoyama, Kiyotomi Maruyama
1Department of Surgery, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Hondo, Akita, 010-8543, Japan.
Purpose:
Cancer cells reportedly produce C-reactive protein (CRP) locally within tumors. The aim of this study was to determine whether tumoral CRP is associated with clinical outcome and recurrence in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer.
Methods:
The subjects included 73 Japanese patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer (pathological Stage IIA-IV) that had not been treated preoperatively with either chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Tumoral CRP expression in resected specimens of tumor tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The survival rate following surgery, the rates and patterns of recurrence, and the serum CRP levels before treatment and at recurrence were analyzed in patients with and without tumoral CRP expression.
Results:
Fifty-nine percent of the study participants (43/73) were positive for tumoral CRP expression, and the remaining 41% (30/73) were negative. No significant difference in clinicopathological factors was observed between the tumoral CRP-positive and CRP-negative groups; however, patients expressing tumoral CRP showed significantly poorer survival and recurrence rates. A multivariate analysis showed that tumoral CRP expression was an independent factor contributing to the likelihood of a poor outcome.
Conclusion:
Tumoral CRP is associated with a poor outcome in thoracic esophageal squamous cell cancer. Tumoral CRP could therefore be an important target for the treatment of this disease.
