Prognostic value of E2F1 in rectal cancer

To evaluate whether E2F transcription factor 1 is a potential prognostic marker in patients with rectal cancer.

Eighty-two patients who were treated with curative resection because of rectal cancer in the Erciyes University School of Medicine, Department of General Surgery were included in the study and analyzed retrospectively. Data were obtained from patient files, pathology reports, and hospital information system. Nuclear and cytoplasmic staining of E2F transcription factor 1 was performed for immunohistochemical analysis on paraffin-embedded and blocked tumor tissue samples of patients. The findings of the study were assessed with using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences Statistics 20.

In the 5-year follow-up period, 34 (41.5%) patients were alive. Local recurrence was identified in 7 patients. According to E2F transcription factor 1 nuclear staining, the average survival rate in patients was 60% for strong nuclear staining and 28% for weak nuclear staining. There was significant statistical difference between groups according to their degree of nuclear staining (p=0.017). When the patients were evaluated according to cytoplasmic staining with E2F transcription factor 1, the average overall survival rate of patients with positive E2F transcription factor 1 cytoplasmic staining was 48.0±4.6% versus 55.9±7.9% for patients without staining (p=0.408).

The survival rates are higher in rectal cancer patients with strong immunohistochemical nuclear staining of E2F transcription factor 1.