title: Expression of blood-group antigen A--a favorable prognostic factor in non-small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  New prognostic factors are needed to guide the treatment of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. We evaluated the prognostic value of altered expression of ABH blood-group antigens, which has been implicated in the multistep process of carcinogenesis and tumor progression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presence of blood-group antigens was assessed immunohistochemically in paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 164 patients who underwent curative surgery for non-small-cell lung cancer from 1980 through 1982. Monoclonal antibodies were used to detect the A and B antigens, and Ulex europaeus agglutinin I to detect H antigen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survival of the 28 patients with blood type A or AB who had primary tumors negative for blood-group antigen A was significantly shorter than that of the 43 patients with antigen A-positive tumors (P less than 0.001) and of the 93 patients with blood type B or O (P = 0.002). The respective median survival times were 15, 71, and 39 months. Disease progressed significantly earlier in the 28 patients with tumors negative for blood-group antigen A than in the antigen A-positive patients (P less than 0.001). Expression of blood-group antigen B or H in tumor cells did not correlate with survival. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis showed that expression of blood-group antigen A in tumor cells added significantly to the prediction of overall survival provided by other known prognostic factors among the patients with blood type A or AB (P = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of blood-group antigen A in tumor cells is an important favorable prognostic factor in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. This variable needs to be considered in the design of future trials of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ro
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Mountain
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Hittelman
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System