title: Influence of apoptosis and cell cycle regulator proteins on chemotherapy response and survival in stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prognosis for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is very poor. Prediction of the response to treatment in individual patients may be possible using molecular biological alterations such as clinical biomarkers. We investigated the predictive value of apoptosis and cell cycle regulator proteins for neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated p53, bcl-2, p21WAF1/CIP1, p27Kip1, and Ki67 immunohistochemical expression and apoptotic index in mediastinal lymph node metastases from 23 IIIA and 10 IIIB NSCLC patients before treatment with neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between protein expression and survival or time to progression (TTP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up was 25 months (range, 4-112), median TTP was 11 months (range, 0-112), and median overall survival was 22 months (range, 4-112). Of 32 assessable patients, 18 (56%) had stable disease, 12 (38%) had a PR, and two (6%) had progressive disease. Of the 22 patients assessable for pN2 following chemotherapy, 16 (77%) were positive. Univariate analysis showed that shorter TTP correlated with progressive disease (p = 0.000), positive pN2 after chemotherapy (p = 0.026), high Ki67 (p = 0.022), and high p21WAF1/CIP1 (p = 0.038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that in IIIA/IIIB NSCLC patients, a high level of p21WAF1 expression in mediastinal lymph node metastases before neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy is associated with a poor outcome. Our results suggest that expression of p21WAF1, which plays a role in preventing apoptosis, may be significant when selecting chemotherapy for NSCLC patients.
authors.affiliation: Hospital María Ferrer, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Morero
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poleri
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.forename: Maximiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Kooten
authors.forename: Reynaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chacón
authors.forename: Moisés
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53