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Expression of ERCC1 and class III β-tubulin in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with a combination of cisplatin/docetaxel and concurrent thoracic irradiation

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Abstract

Introduction

The expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) is reported to be correlated with resistance to platinum-based drugs. Class III β-tubulin is reported to be correlated with resistance to taxanes.

Methods

In the present study, we evaluated whether ERCC1 and class III β-tubulin expression could be used to predict progression-free and/or overall survival in 34 patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving concurrent chemoradiation therapy with cisplatin and docetaxel, and immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of these two proteins in tumor samples obtained from the patients.

Results

Immunostaining for ERCC1 and class III β-tubulin was positive in 16 and 12 patients, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between ERCC1 expression and response to chemotherapy (P = 0.012), and between class III β-tubulin expression and histology (P = 0.029). Patients negative for ERCC1 had a significantly longer median progression-free (62.5 vs. 36 weeks, P = 0.009), but not overall (171 vs. 50.5 weeks, P = 0.208), survival than those positive for ERCC1. Expression of class III β-tubulin was not correlated with progression-free or overall survival (P = 0.563 and P = 0.265, respectively). Multivariate analysis adjusting for possible confounding factors showed that negative ERCC1 expression (hazard ratio = 3.972, P = 0.009) was a significantly favorable factor for progression-free survival.

Conclusions

This retrospective study indicates that immunostaining for ERCC1 may be useful for predicting survival in NSCLC patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin and docetaxel, and can provide information critical for planning personalized chemotherapy.

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Abbreviations

NSCLC:

Non-small cell lung cancer

ERCC1:

Excision repair cross-complementation group 1

p-stage:

Pathological stage

RECIST:

Response evaluation criteria in solid tumors

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid from the 21st Century Centers of Excellence Program for Medical Science, Japan.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors has a financial relationship with a commercial entity that has an interest in the subject of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Respirology, Neurology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan

    Koichi Azuma, Takashi Kinoshita, Masao Ichiki, Youhei Imamura, Jiro Ikeda & Hisamichi Aizawa

  2. Department of Pathology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

    Akihiko Kawahara & Masayoshi Kage

  3. Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

    Sinzo Takamori

  4. Research Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan

    Koichi Azuma, Akihiko Kawahara, Masayoshi Kage & Michihiko Kuwano

  5. Biostatistics Center, Kurume University, Kurume, Japan

    Satoshi Hattori

  6. Department of Surgery, Kitano Hospital, Tazuke-Kofukai Medical Research Institute, Osaka, Japan

    Tetsuro Sasada

  7. Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization, Kyushu Medical Center, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, Japan

    Masao Ichiki

Authors
  1. Koichi Azuma
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  2. Tetsuro Sasada
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  3. Akihiko Kawahara
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  4. Satoshi Hattori
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  5. Takashi Kinoshita
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  6. Sinzo Takamori
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  7. Masao Ichiki
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  8. Youhei Imamura
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  9. Jiro Ikeda
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  10. Masayoshi Kage
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  11. Michihiko Kuwano
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  12. Hisamichi Aizawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Koichi Azuma.

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Azuma, K., Sasada, T., Kawahara, A. et al. Expression of ERCC1 and class III β-tubulin in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with a combination of cisplatin/docetaxel and concurrent thoracic irradiation. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 64, 565–573 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-008-0907-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-008-0907-3

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