title: The prognostic impact of tumor cell expression of estrogen receptor-α, progesterone receptor, and androgen receptor in patients irradiated for nonsmall cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current study was performed to investigate the potential impact of tumor cell expression of estrogen receptor-α (ER-α), progesterone receptor (PR), and androgen receptor (AR) on the outcomes of patients who received radiotherapy (RT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Tumor cell expression of ER-α, PR, and AR as well as 9 additional potential prognostic factors were retrospectively evaluated in 64 patients who underwent RT for AJCC stage II/III NSCLC. The endpoints investigated were locoregional control, metastases-free survival, and overall survival. The additional potential prognostic factors were age, gender, Karnofsky performance score, histology, T classification, N classification, surgery, smoking during RT, and hemoglobin levels during RT. Subgroup analyses were performed for women and men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On univariate analysis, locoregional control was not found to be associated with expression of PR or AR. ER-α expression demonstrated a strong trend toward worse locoregional control. On multivariate analysis, ER-α expression was found to be significantly associated with worse locoregional control (risk ratio [RR], 3.12; P = .035). On univariate analysis, metastases-free survival was not associated with expression of ER-α, PR, or AR. On univariate analysis, survival was found to be negatively associated with expression of ER-α (P = .003) but not with PR or AR expression. On multivariate analysis, ER-α expression maintained significance (RR, 2.73; P = .022).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor cell expression of ER-α was found to be a negative prognostic factor for treatment outcomes in both women and men. Expression of PR and AR was not associated with outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Lubeck, Lubeck, Germany. Rades.Dirk@gmx.net.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rades
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Setter
authors.forename: Olav
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dahl
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Schild
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noack
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone