Cyclin D1 overexpression as a prognostic factor in patients with esophageal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Cyclin D1 is known to play important roles in the G1/S check-point of the cell cycle. We investigated the correlation between cyclin D1 overexpression and clinical characteristics to clarify its prognostic significance in patients with esophageal cancer.


METHODS
From 1991 to 1998, cyclin D1 was investigated in esophageal cancers from 86 patients who underwent esophagectomy. Overexpression of cyclin D1 was demonstrated using an immunohistochemical method.


RESULTS
Overexpression of cyclin D1 was found in 23 (26.7%) of 86 cases. Overexpression of cyclin D1 correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0083) and lymphatic vessel invasion (P = 0.018). Cyclin D1 overexpression may indicate resistance to chemotherapy. The patients with cyclin D1 overexpression had a significantly lower survival rate than those without overexpression (P = 0.013). The multivariate analysis revealed cyclin D1 overexpression to be an important prognostic factor in patients with esophageal cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Immunohistochemical examination of cyclin D1 expression may provide important prognostic information in univariate and multivariate analysis and may be necessary for determining therapeutic strategies for esophageal cancer.
Nagasawa
S
S
Department of Surgery I, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. nshigeo@hh.iij4u.or.jp
Onda
M
M
Sasajima
K
K
Makino
H
H
Yamashita
K
K
Takubo
K
K
Miyashita
M
M
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002453:Cell Cycle; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
D019938:Cyclin D1