Differential role of estrogen receptor beta in early versus metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Although women have an increased susceptibility to lung cancer, they also have a favorable clinical outcome. This may in part be due to female specific genetic and hormonal factors. In the present study, expression of ER-beta was investigated by immunohistochemistry using tissue samples from two cohorts: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosed in 1999 in Manitoba and advanced NSCLC patients from the NCIC-CTG BR.18 trial. In the Manitoba cohort assessable tissue samples available in 79 patients (32 females and 47 males) and the majority (75%) had early stage disease. Fifty-one percent of patients expressed high levels of ER-beta (defined by ≥60, the median immunohistochemistry score) and its expression was comparable in males and females. The 3-year overall survival of the group was 53% and males had significantly worse survival compared to females (HR=2.37, 95%CI 1.15–4.91, P=0.02). Higher ER-beta 1 expression was associated with better survival in both univariate (HR=0.41, 95%CI 0.21–0.80, P=0.009) and in multivariate (HR=0.37, 95%CI 0.18–0.77, P=0.008) analysis. In the NCIC-CTG cohort that were more often later stage, assessable tissue samples from 48 cases were available however higher ER beta 1 expression correlated with poorer survival (HR= 1.94, 95%CI 1.01–3.75 P=0.047). These results suggest a differential impact of ER-beta 1 expression on clinical outcome by disease stage, that needs to be explored further and may explain contradictory observations reported in the literature.
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Sri
S
Navaratnam
Georgios
G
Skliris
Gefei
G
Qing
Shantanu
S
Banerji
Ketan
K
Badiani
Dongsheng
D
Tu
Penelope A
PA
Bradbury
Natasha B
NB
Leighl
Frances A
FA
Shepherd
Janet
J
Nowatzki
Alain
A
Demers
Leigh
L
Murphy
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging
D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta