title: Does biomolecular characterization of stage II/III colorectal cancer have any prognostic value?
abstract: As new improvements in the treatment of colorectal cancer have become available, it has become important to understand the benefits of new therapies or the deleterious effects stemming from the increased risk of toxicity. In particular, a more rational approach to adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage II/III disease should be defined by understanding which patients have a higher recurrence risk. Many studies have investigated several molecular markers, but none has been definitively associated with patient outcome. We present a review of studies that have evaluated the immunohistochemical correlation between expression of some biomarkers, such as thymidylate synthase, p53, Ki-67, Bcl-2, and microsatellite instability status expressed by Mut-L homologue 1 and Mut-S homologue 2 proteins, and the prognosis of patients with stage II/III colorectal cancer. We have evaluated studies in which > or = 100 patients were involved in an effort to ensure a representative study group. The only biomarker likely to have a prognostic value is microsatellite instability status, which correlated with a better prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Unit, Policlinico Sant'Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Funaioli
authors.forename: Carmine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Vita
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mutri
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Fabio
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.forename: Andrea Angelo
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Martoni
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D000070956:MutL Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000032:analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C501486:MLH1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C088996:PMS1 protein, human; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D000070956:MutL Proteins