title: The proteolysis-inducing factor: in search of its clinical relevance in patients with metastatic gastric/esophageal cancer.
abstract: The proteolysis-inducing factor is a putative mediator of cancer-associated weight loss. The goal of this study was to examine for the first time: (i) its prevalence in patients with metastatic gastric/esophageal cancer; and (ii) whether it possibly correlated with weight loss and anorexia and whether it predicted tumor response and patient survival. This study recruited 41 patients as part of a phase II therapeutic, chemotherapy protocol for patients with metastatic gastric/esophageal cancer. Patient eligibility criteria were designed to select a group of patients who would tolerate treatment with the drugs capecitabine and oxaliplatin. Urine for assaying the proteolysis-inducing factor was obtained at registration and then 6 weeks later. Patients completed the FACT-E questionnaire every 6 weeks and had their weights checked at the same interval. Patients were followed prospectively for tumor response and patient survival. Twenty-three (56%) patients had the proteolysis-inducing factor in their urine at registration, and 18 (64%) had it at 6 weeks. There was no statistically significant correlation between the presence of the proteolysis-inducing factor and weight loss or between its presence and anorexia. Moreover, there was no evidence that the presence of the proteolysis-inducing factor in urine was able to predict tumor response or patient survival. The proteolysis-inducing factor in urine does not appear to be tied to weight loss, anorexia, tumor response, or patient survival in the clinical setting of metastatic gastric/esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. jatoi.aminah@mayo.edu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jatoi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wieland
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nikcevich
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: LaPlant
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Palcic
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baracos
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000652:urine*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D000855:Anorexia / Q000652:urine; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000652:urine*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000652:urine*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011509:Proteoglycans; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000652:urine*; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011509:Proteoglycans; C042057:proteolysis-inducing peptide