The Expression Of Signal Transduction Proteins And Their Relationship To Clinical Findings In Patients With Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

In nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), prognostic factors have been established including tumor stage and performance status, however, survival within the same stage is variable and additional prognostic factors are needed. We investigated a microarray of paraffin-embedded sections from 108 cases of NSCLC which were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies against Ki-67, FRAP, HER2, PTEN, VEGF, COX-2, CD117, and PDGF, using an enhanced sensitivity avidin-biotin peroxidase technique. Staining was graded as a percentage of positive cells, and results correlated with survival by log-rank test and Kaplan Meier survival plots. Improved survival was correlated with female gender, squamous cell histology, low Ki67 expression, and lack of FRAP expression. VEGF and CD117 expression was correlated with stage, while COX2 expression showed significant differences by ethnicity. There was no statistical difference between the staining patterns of HER2, PTEN, and PDGF by pathologic factor, patient demographics, or survival outcome.