[A study on the relationship between lung cancer cell apoptosis and prognosis in patients with human non-small cell lung cancer.].
BACKGROUND
To explore the relationship between the apoptotic level of lung cancer cell and oncogenesis , development and prognosis of lung cancer.


METHODS
The apoptotic level of lung cancer cell was detected in 124 non2small cell lung cancer samples , and their normal lung tissues adjacent to cancer and 40 normal pulmonary tissues as control by TUNEL.


RESULTS
(1) The apoptotic index (AI) in the lung cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in the normal tissues adjacent to lung cancer and normal lung tissues ( P < 0. 01) ; (2) The AI of lung cancer cell was closely related to P2TNM stages , lymph node involvement of the cancer ( P < 0. 05) ,but no close relation was observed among the AI , histological classification , cancer differentiation , size of the primary tumor , site of the cancer , age , sex of patients and smoking or not ( P > 0. 05) ; (3) The 52year survival rate (45. 57 %) of patients in high AI group was significantly higher than that (14. 69 %) in lower AI group ( P < 0. 01) .


CONCLUSIONS
Apoptotic suppression of lung cancer cells may play an important role in the oncogenesis , development and prognosis of lung cancer. Detection of apoptosis of lung cancer cells might be helpful to predict prognosis and guide the postoperative treatment in patients with lung cancer.
Li
L
L
Cancer Center , The First University Hospital , West China University of Medical Sciences , Chengdu , Sichuan 610041 , P. R. China.
Zhou
Q
Q
Luo
D
D
Xu
Y
Y
Yang
H
H
Zhang
S
S
Li
A
A
Li
H
H
Lv
C
C