title: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator and outcome in Dukes' B colorectal cancer.
abstract: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) is a serine protease involved in cancer metastasis. Using immunohistochemical methods, we examined the relation between u-PA and long-term survival in 70 patients with Dukes' B colorectal cancer. 8-year survival was 81% in patients whose tumours demonstrated low-grade epithelial u-PA staining and 43% in those with high-grade staining (log-rank test, p = 0.01). Survival was unrelated to stromal u-PA staining. These results suggest that u-PA may be useful in the identification of patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer at risk of tumour recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, St Vincent's Hospital and University College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Mulcahy
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Parfrey
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: O'Donoghue
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sheahan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator