Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in locally advanced cervical cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation plus surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) could be a marker of clinical outcome in cervical cancer patients undergoing concomitant chemoradiation plus surgery.


METHODS
The study included 33 locally advanced cervical cancer patients; all underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation, and responsive patients underwent radical surgery. Immunohistochemistry was performed with rabbit antiserum against COX-2.


RESULTS
COX-2 integrated density values (IDVs) in the tumor component ranged from 1.4 to 72.3 (median 15.0); in stromal inflammatory cells, COX-2 IDVs ranged from 1.4 to 96.0 (median 16.0). A statistically significant inverse relation was found between the COX-2 IDVs of the tumor vs. the stromal inflammatory component (r = -0.52, p = 0.0017). When the ratio between COX-2 IDV in the tumor vs. the stromal compartment was <or=1, it was considered to indicate cervical tumor with COX-2 expression in the tumor component lower or equivalent to COX-2 expression in the stroma. According to the chosen cutoff value, 17 (51.5%) of 33 were scored as having a high (>1) tumor/stroma COX-2 IDV ratio. Patients with a high tumor/stroma COX-2 IDV ratio had a shorter disease-free survival than did those with a low tumor/stroma COX-2 IDV ratio (p = 0.030). Similarly, those with a high tumor/stroma COX-2 IDV ratio had a shorter overall survival (p = 0.033).


CONCLUSIONS
The assessment of COX-2 status in both the tumor and the stromal compartment could provide additional information in the prognostic characterization of cervical cancer patients administered concomitant chemoradiation plus surgery.
Ferrandina
G
G
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
Ranelletti
F O
FO
Legge
F
F
Lauriola
L
L
Poerio
A
A
Zannoni
G F
GF
Smaniotto
D
D
Margariti
P A
PA
Macchia
G
G
Scambia
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000032:analysis*; D015996:Survival Rate; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*
D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases