Evaluation of CD133 expression rate in colon cancers with immunohistochemistry method and its relationship with colon cancer prognosis

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death, worldwide. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the CD133 expression rate in colon cancers and determine its relationship with colon cancer prognosis. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in AL-Zahra hospital in Isfahan from April 2008 to April 2014 on 80 patients with CRC. In this study demographic profile such as age and gender, clinicopathologic profile including tumor grade, size, stage, metastasis, 5-year survival and their relation with CD133 expression in form of diffuse, weakly and negative were investigated. Results: From the 80 investigated patients, 47 (58.8%) were male and rest were female. The most common type of CD133 was diffuse type with the 43.8% of cases. Mean age of patients was 61.4 ±14.12 years. This study showed a significant difference between type of CD133 in regards of tumour size (from 23.11 mm in negative cases to 38.85 in weakly cases, P = 0.047). Moreover, the 5-year survival in the three groups of CD133 were significantly different (from 22.54 months in diffuse to 34.42 months in negative cases, P = 0.025). Conclusion: CD133 may be considered as an important tumor marker and a prognostic and diagnostic marker, as well as a therapeutic approach in patients with CRC.