Apoptosis and bcl-2 expression as predictors of survival in radiation-treated non-small-cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed the role of apoptosis and the expression of bcl-2, p53, and c-myc oncoproteins in pretreatment histologic specimens as a predictor of response to radiation therapy and survival in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.


METHODS
Pretreatment biopsy specimens of 68 patients with NSCLC (62 squamous cell carcinoma, 6 adenocarcinoma) were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. From 5 high-powered fields, the apoptotic index (AI) was calculated as the ratio of apoptotic tumor cells to the total number of tumor cells. Bcl-2, p53, and c-myc oncoprotein expression was detected by immunohistochemical staining.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine cases showed partial or complete remission, whereas 39 showed no response. AI ranged from 0.2 to 12.0% (mean +/- SD; 4.3 +/- 2.6%, median 4.0%). There was no difference in AI between responders (4.0 +/- 2.3) and nonresponders (4.5 +/- 2.8, p > 0.05). However, in the responders, AI was correlated with the degree of change in tumor volume (r = 0.41, p < 0.05). In an analysis of 53 subjects who survived more than 1 month after the completion of radiation therapy, the patients with a higher AI (n = 27, MST = 22.8 m) survived longer than those with a lower AI (n = 26, MST = 9.2, log-rank, p = 0.03). Patients expressing bcl-2 had poorer survival (n = 22, MST = 6.0 m) than patients without bcl-2 (n = 31, 22.8 m, p < 0.003). According to multivariate analysis, three variables, bcl-2 expression, AI, and response to radiation, were independent prognostic factors for survival.


CONCLUSIONS
A low level of spontaneous apoptosis and expression of apoptosis blocking bcl-2 protein in pretreatment histology predict a poor prognosis for radiation-treated NSCLC patients.
Hwang
J H
JH
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, 8 Hak-Dong, Dong-ku, Kwangju, 501-757, South Korea.
Lim
S C
SC
Kim
Y C
YC
Park
K O
KO
Ahn
S J
SJ
Chung
W K
WK
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009154:Mutation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53