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COX2 Expression Predicts Resistance to Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

  • Gastrointestinal Oncology
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The overexpression of cyclooxygenase (COX)2 is correlated with carcinogenesis, tumor progression, and prognosis, and increased COX2 expression is correlated with radiation resistance. However, no correlation between the COX2 expression and resistance to chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma has been characterized. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether COX2 expression is an indicator of resistance to chemoradiotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and the feasibility of COX2 as a biomarker for CRT.

Methods

Fifty-eight patients who were diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma from biopsy samples were enrolled in the present series. All patients underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy in a neoadjuvant setting, followed by radical esophagectomy. COX2 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining and statistically compared with the histopathologic findings in surgically resected specimens.

Results

The rate of responders was 87% for weak expression of COX2, 62% for moderate expression, and 30% for strong expression, and there was a close correlation between COX2 expression and the response rate (Kendall’s τb = 0.396, P = 0.001). In the univariate analysis, negative or weak expression of COX2 was found to correlate significantly with CRT response (odds ratio, 6.296; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.58–25.096; P = 0.010). In the multivariate analysis, weak expression of COX2 (30% or less) was found to be an independent prognostic factor (odds ratio, 6.534; 95% CI, 1.535–27.803; P = 0.011).

Conclusions

The COX2 expression predicts resistance to chemoradiotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and it also is a feasible biomarker for evaluating the CRT response.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in this article and no funding has been received.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Frontier Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

    Yasunori Akutsu MD, PhD, Naoyuki Hanari MD, PhD, Gulbostan Yusup MD, Aki Komatsu-Akimoto MS, Norimasa Ikeda MD, Mikito Mori MD, PhD, Yasuo Yoneyama MD, PhD, Satoshi Endo MD, Yukimasa Miyazawa MD, PhD & Hisahiro Matsubara MD, PhD

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  1. Yasunori Akutsu MD, PhD
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  2. Naoyuki Hanari MD, PhD
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  3. Gulbostan Yusup MD
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  4. Aki Komatsu-Akimoto MS
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  5. Norimasa Ikeda MD
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  6. Mikito Mori MD, PhD
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  7. Yasuo Yoneyama MD, PhD
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  8. Satoshi Endo MD
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  9. Yukimasa Miyazawa MD, PhD
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  10. Hisahiro Matsubara MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Yasunori Akutsu MD, PhD.

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Akutsu, Y., Hanari, N., Yusup, G. et al. COX2 Expression Predicts Resistance to Chemoradiotherapy in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Ann Surg Oncol 18, 2946–2951 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-011-1645-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-011-1645-z

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