title: Survival in small cell lung carcinoma is independent of Bcl-2 expression.
abstract: Bcl-2 overexpression is a common event in small cell carcinomas (SCLC). The bcl-2 oncoprotein has a unique oncogenic role by inhibiting programmed cell death (apoptosis), resulting in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance. Forty-two cases of SCLC were stained immunohistochemically with bcl-2 monoclonal antibody (Biogenex, San Ramon, CA) after using an antigen retrieval step with citrate buffer. bcl-2 positivity was determined as detection of the oncoprotein in greater than 10% of noncrushed neoplastic cells. Twenty-five of 42 (60%) patients had extensive disease at presentation, 10 of 42 (24%) had limited disease, and 7 of 42 (16%) had disease localized to the lung. Twenty-four of 42 (57%) tumors were bcl-2 positive, and 18 of 42 (43%) tumors were bcl-2 negative. Follow-up in patients ranged from 7 days to 96 months (mean follow-up, 20 months). The median survival of patients with bcl-2-positive tumors was 11 months, as opposed to 13 months for bcl-2-negative tumors. There was no significant difference in median survival between bcl-2-positive and bcl-2-negative SCLC (log rank test, P = .2256). Using Cox's proportional hazards model, median survival in SCLC was determined to be independent of age at diagnosis, stage at presentation, therapeutic modality, and bcl-2 expression. bcl-2 expression does not significantly influence survival in SCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235-9073, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maitra
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Amirkhan
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Saboorian
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Frawley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ashfaq
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2