title: Vitamin D receptor expression and neoadjuvant therapy in esophageal adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Esophageal adenocarcinoma carries a poor prognosis. Tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy is a key prognostic factor in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, but is inconsistent. Identifying tumor characteristics that portend a favorable response to neoadjuvant therapy would be a valuable clinical tool. The anticancer actions of vitamin D and its receptor may have implications. In this study, 15 biopsy specimens were procured retrospectively from patients being treated for adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. The tissue was immunostained for the vitamin D receptor and compared on the basis of response to neoadjuvant therapy. Tumors that did not respond to neoadjuvant therapy had greater expression of VDR than tumors that responded completely. Expression of VDR declined with tumor de-differentiation. The data suggest that a relationship between vitamin D receptor expression and response to neoadjuvant therapy is plausible.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical & Translational Science, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trowbridge
authors.forename: Poonam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Devendra K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Agrawal
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol