Prognostic impact of bcl-2 expression on advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic impact of bcl-2 expression on patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).


METHODS
One hundred five patients with advanced NPC treated with high-dose radiotherapy were included. The relationship between bcl-2 expression, TNM stage, and disease-specific survival was analyzed.


RESULTS
Within the same stage III and IV, patients with negative bcl-2 expression had better disease-free survival. The disease-free survival of patients with stage IV NPC with negative bcl-2 expression was paradoxically better than that of patients with stage III NPC with positive bcl-2 expression. In the advanced NPC, the disease-free survival of patients with stage III cancer was better than that of patients with stage IV cancer (p = .06); in contrast, patients with bcl-2-positive tumors had a worse disease-free 5-year survival (p = .02). The Cox regression model revealed that only bcl-2 expression was statistically significant (p = .03).


CONCLUSIONS
In advanced staged NPC, bcl-2 expression represented an important prognostic factor.
Chen
Mu-Kuan
MK
Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan. 53780@cch.org.tw
Lai
Jui-Chung
JC
Chang
Cheng-Chuan
CC
Chang
Julia H
JH
Chang
Yu-Jun
YJ
Chen
Hui-Chuan
HC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2