Immunohistochemical detection of basic fibroblast growth factor as a prognostic indicator in pulmonary adenocarcinoma

The expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was studied immunohistochemically in tissue specimens from 157 patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Tumor cells that expressed bFGF were found in 89 patients (74%). The expression of bFGF was correlated with T and M in the TNM classification, disease stage and curability. The 5-year survival rate was 24% in bFGF-positive patients but 66% in bFGF-negative patients, the difference being significant (P<0.01). The 5-year survival rate of patients with stage I disease was 73% in those who were bFGF-positive but 88% in those who were bFGF-negative, the difference being significant (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the expression of bFGF was significantly related to prognosis. These findings suggest that bFGF plays an important role in tumor progression and that its expression may be a useful prognostic indicator for pulmonary adenocarcinoma.