Nucleolar organizer regions are independently associated with a shortened survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
We examined nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NOR) in 102 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Ag-NOR counts were generally higher in tumours from more advanced stages, or in poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. Six potential-prognostic indicators included sex, age, year of operation, histology, stage and Ag-NOR count. Stage and Ag-NOR counts had a significant prognostic value in the univariate analysis for 79 patients who died of their lung cancer. In the multivariate analysis, high Ag-NOR counts as well as disease stage were independently associated with a poor prognosis. Furthermore we divided patients into three groups according to their Ag-NOR counts and found that in patients with stage I and II disease higher Ag-NOR counts were associated with shortened survival. This trend did not continue in patients with stage III and IV disease.
Oyama
T
T
Department of Surgery II, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Mitsudomi
T
T
Yoshida
Y
Y
Mizoue
T
T
Hamada
T
T
Shirakusa
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016622:Silver Staining; D015996:Survival Rate