title: Associations between hepatocyte growth factor, c-Met, and basic fibroblast growth factor and survival in endometrial cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), c-Met, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are molecular markers that contribute to angiogenesis and proliferation in numerous cancers. We assessed the prognostic significance of these factors in tumour and stroma of endometrial cancer (EC) patients (n=211).
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect tumour and stromal protein expression of the biomarkers. Associations between expression and clinicopathological factors were assessed using Chi-square tests. Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox regression were used to summarise associations between biomarker expression and overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tumour bFGF was significantly associated with high-grade endometrioid and clear cell histology (P<0.001), advanced stage (P=0.008), positive lymph-node involvement (P=0.002), poor OS (log-rank test, P=0.009), and poor RFS (P<0.001). In multivariable analyses, cases with HGF-positive, stromal bFGF-positive tumours had a lower risk of death compared with cases with HGF-positive, stromal bFGF-negative tumours (hazard ratio (HR): 0.14, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.60). Cases with HGF-positive, bFGF-positive tumours had a higher risk of recurrence compared with cases with negative expression of both markers (HR: 9.88, 95% CI: 2.63, 37.16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These IHC data show that tumour and stromal bFGF expression have opposite associations with survival outcomes in EC patients. If confirmed in larger studies, tumour-derived bFGF could be an attractive target in EC therapy.
authors.affiliation: Hormonal and Reproductive Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD 20852-7234, USA. ashley.felix@gmail.com
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chivukula
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Parwani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bowser
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Linkov
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Weissfeld
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor