title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Medical School, University of Athens, Greece. abamias@med.uoa.gr
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authors.lastname: Bamias
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authors.lastname: Chorti
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authors.lastname: Kavantzas
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authors.lastname: Kyroudi-Voulgari
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authors.lastname: Rontoyianni
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authors.lastname: Kastritis
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authors.lastname: Xiros
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authors.lastname: Patsouris
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authors.lastname: Murray
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authors.lastname: Tamvakis
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dimopoulos