title: Prognostic significance of expression of cyclooxygenase-2, vascular endothelial growth factor, and epidermal growth factor receptor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The association between expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and the long-term outcomes in treated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) was studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of COX-2, VEGF, and EGFR by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was assessed in 128 patients with NPC. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional control, and distant metastasis-free survival rates were compared for different expression levels of each marker. Multivariate analysis was by the Cox regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up after radiation therapy ± chemotherapy was 116 months. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that COX-2, VEGF, EGFR, and clinical stage were all independent predictors for OS, DFS, locoregional control, and distant metastasis-free survival rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High expression of COX-2, VEGF, and EGFR were independent adverse prognostic factors for long-term outcomes in nonmetastatic NPC independent of clinical stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, People's Republic of China. panjianji@126.com
authors.forename: Jianji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Tianlan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Luying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jiade J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Senan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Sufang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ivan W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: K Tham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors