Abstract
Analysis of tumour markers is helping to predict individual patient response to chemotherapy. However, the difficulties in obtaining metastatic disease samples has led to a reliance on assessment of primary tumour, with little data on its predictive ability. This study assessed thymidylate synthase (TS), a target for the commonly used drug 5FU, in 42 paired primary colorectal tumour and lymph node metastasis. High TS staining was seen in 63% of primary colon tumour cells and 81% of the secondary lymph node. Primary tumour did not have significant predictive power for secondary tumour samples (kappa=0.125; p=0.38). There was no significant relationship between TS staining and expression of G1/S cell cycle proteins p21, p27, p53, cyclin D1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and retinoblastoma protein (Rb) (p>0.05 in all cases). Discordance in TS protein levels between primary and secondary tumours demonstrates the danger of predicting outcome after chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer from the primary tumour.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 231-234 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Oncology Reports |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 2002 |
Keywords
- colorectal cancer
- immunohistochemistry
- thymidylate synthase
- COLON-CANCER
- EXPRESSION
- CHEMOTHERAPY
- 5-FLUOROURACIL
- MARKERS
- RESISTANCE
- CORRELATE
- PROGNOSIS
- CELLS
- PHASE