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Expression of thymidylate synthase (TS) and its prognostic significance in patients with cutaneous angiosarcoma
Abstract:
Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CA) is extremely rare, and little is known about the biological significance of possible biomarkers for chemotherapeutic agents. Thymidylate synthase (TS) is an attractive target for cancer treatment in various human neoplasms. It remains unclear whether the expression of TS is associated with the clinicopathological features of CA patients. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between TS expression and the clinicopathological significance in CA patients. Fifty-one patients with CA were included in this study. TS expression and Ki-67 labeling index were examined using immunohistochemical analysis. TS was positively expressed in 39% (20/51) of CA patients. No statistically significant prognostic factor was identified as a predictor of overall survival (OS) for all patients by univariate analysis, whereas a significant prognostic variable for progression free survival (PFS) was found to be the clinical stage. In addition, both univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that positive expression of TS was a significant predictor of worse PFS in CA patients of clinical stage 1.
Conclusion:
Positive TS expression in CA was identified as a significant predictor of worse outcome in patients of clinical stage 1.
Insights
Thymidylate synthase (TS) expression predicts worse progression-free survival in early-stage cutaneous angiosarcoma (CA). This finding is crucial for understanding treatment responses in this rare cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Dermatology
- Cancer Biomarkers
Background:
- Cutaneous angiosarcoma (CA) is a rare cancer with limited understanding of therapeutic biomarkers.
- Thymidylate synthase (TS) is a validated target in various cancers, but its role in CA is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between TS expression and clinicopathological features in CA patients.
- To determine if TS expression is a prognostic factor for survival outcomes in CA.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemical analysis of TS expression and Ki-67 labeling index in 51 CA patient samples.
- Univariate and multivariate analyses to assess prognostic significance for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).
Main Results:
- TS was positively expressed in 39% of CA patients.
- Clinical stage was a significant predictor of PFS for all patients.
- Positive TS expression independently predicted worse PFS in stage 1 CA patients.
Conclusions:
- Positive TS expression is a significant predictor of poorer progression-free survival in stage 1 cutaneous angiosarcoma.
- TS may serve as a potential biomarker for treatment strategies in early-stage CA.
