title: Prognostic significance of ERCC1 expression in resected non small cell lung carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effects of DNA repair pathway on survival were assessed by measuring the tumoral excision repair cross complementation 1 (ERCC1) expression in patients with resected non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). We aimed to determine the prognostic and predictive significance of ERCC1 in patients with completely resected NSCLC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to assess the expression of ERCC1 in resected lung tumor samples obtained from 98 patients untreated without pre- or post-operative chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The median H score was used as a cut-off for ERCC1 IHC. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for factors influencing patient survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 5-year survival rates of patients for ERCC1 positive expression and ERCC1 negative expression were 76% and 49%, respectively; this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.004). Subsequent multivariate analysis suggested that ERCC1 expression (adjusted hazard ratio for death, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.78; p = 0.008) and pathological stage (2.2; 95% CI, 1.09 to 4.5; p = 0.027) were both independent prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level of ERCC1 expression in tumors a strong predictor of survival in resected NSCLC patients untreated without pre- or post-operative chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.
authors: Department of Chest Diseases, Yedikule Teaching Hospital for Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey. drekremcs@yahoo.com
authors: Ekrem Cengiz
authors: EC
authors: Seyhan
authors: Sedat
authors: S
authors: Altın
authors: Erdogan
authors: E
authors: Cetinkaya
authors: Sinem
authors: S
authors: Sökücü
authors: Hülya
authors: H
authors: Abali
authors: Nur
authors: N
authors: Buyukpinarbasili
authors: Neslihan
authors: N
authors: Fener