Microvessel density (MVD) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)/ beta-catenin interaction are associated with relapse in patients with transitional carcinoma receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel/carboplatin: a hellenic cooperative oncology group (HECOG) study.
BACKGROUND
Cycloxygenase (COX)-2 has been associated with proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis in urothelial cancer. The prognostic significance of COX-2 in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy for urothelial cancer was examined.


METHODS
Expression of COX-2, p53, ki67, beta-catenin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and microvessel density (MVD) were studied retrospectively in 59 patients with urothelial cancer (pT3, pT4, N+) who had undergone surgery. The patients had subsequently received adjuvant chemotherapy.


RESULTS
Thirty-eight out of 59 cases (64%) were positive for COX-2. COX-2 was not associated either with progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS). MVD levels > or =47 were associated with longer median PFS compared with lower levels (not reached vs. 13 months [95% CI: 8-18], p=0.048). The median PFS for patients with beta-catenin nuclear accumulation and COX-2 expression was 6 months (95% CI: 4-7) compared with 19 months (95% CI: 14-23) for neither or only one of these factors (p=0.018).


CONCLUSIONS
MVD may be a useful indicator of relapse in high-risk urothelial cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.
Bamias
A
A
Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece. abamias@med.uoa.gr
Kyriakou
F
F
Chorti
M
M
Kavantzas
N
N
Noni
A
A
Kyroudi-Voulgari
A
A
Rontoyianni
D
D
Kastritis
E
E
Xiros
N
N
Patsouris
E S
ES
Murray
S
S
Tamvakis
N
N
Dimopoulos
M A
MA