High expression levels of class III β-tubulin in resected non-small cell lung cancer patients are predictive of improved patient survival after vinorelbine-based adjuvant chemotherapy.
The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency and predictive value of the expression of tumor microtubule components in patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer (R-NSCLC) subsequently treated with vinorelbine-based adjuvant chemotherapy. The expression of the microtubule components was evaluated in 85 R-NSCLC tumor samples using immunohistochemistry. All patients received vinorelbine-based chemotherapy. The predictive value of microtubule protein expression for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) was assessed. The expression of the microtubule components was not associated with any baseline clinicopathological factors in the R-NSCLC patients. High tumor expression levels of class III β-tubulin were correlated with an improved DFS (P=0.033) and a trend towards a longer OS (P=0.226). Class II and IV β-tubulins were not correlated with patient outcome. Multivariate analysis of factors, including gender, age, histology, stage and class II, III and IV β-tubulin expression demonstrated that high levels of class III β-tubulin expression were correlated independently with DFS (P= 0.031). These findings suggest that high class III β-tubulin expression levels in resected tumors are predictive of improved DFS in R-NSCLC patients receiving vinorelbine-based chemotherapy.
Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guandong 510515; ; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, Guandong 510120;
Yalei
Y
Zhang
Haihong
H
Yang
Jun
J
Liu
Qiuhua
Q
Deng
Ping
P
He
Yunen
Y
Lin
Juhong
J
Jiang
Xia
X
Gu
Mingcong
M
Mo
Hui
H
Pan
Xinguo
X
Xiong
Yuan
Y
Qiu
Jianxing
J
He
adjuvant chemotherapy; class III β-tubulin; resected non-small cell lung cancer