Cell proliferation-related markers in colorectal liver metastases: correlation with patient prognosis.
OBJECTIVE
We analyzed the relation between phenotypic (DNA ploidy) and functional markers (S-phase cell fraction, p53, and bcl-2 protein expression) and defined their relevance on clinical outcome on a retrospective series of radically resected liver metastases from colorectal cancer.


METHODS
Among 104 patients with resectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer, DNA ploidy was determined by flow cytometry, 3H-thymidine labeling index (TLI) by autoradiography, and expression of p53 and bcl-2 by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
TLI was a significant indicator for relapse at 4 years from radical surgery, DNA ploidy was a suggestive indicator of clinical outcome, and p53 and bcl-2 expression provided no clinical information. By multivariate analysis, cell proliferation rate and Dukes' stage remained independent prognostic parameters. In the most representative subgroup of patients with H1 liver lesions (86 cases), TLI was always associated with relapse, and DNA ploidy and p53 expression provided discriminant information within slowly proliferating liver lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Tumor-cell proliferation of liver lesions should be used with stage of the primary colorectal cancer for a more accurate prognosis in patients submitted to curative hepatic resection.
Costa
A
A
Oncologia Sperimentale C and Oncologia Chirurgica A, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milano, Italy.
Doci
R
R
Mochen
C
C
Bignami
P
P
Faranda
A
A
Gennari
L
L
Silvestrini
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D002455:Cell Division; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53