title: COX-2, TFF1, and Src define better prognosis in young patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite its dwindling occurrence, gastric cancer remains a leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide. Molecular determinants of prognosis that impact survival are being sought out as a means to facilitate rational clinical decision-making and enhance patient management. In this study, we evaluated three molecules implicated in gastric carcinogenesis and demonstrated that the differential expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and the viral oncogene homolog Src proteins could explain the differences in survival observed in patients older and younger than 50 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 5-year survival in a cohort of 423 gastric cancer patients using chronological age as a variable. Additionally, we assessed the protein expression of three molecules (COX-2, TFF1, Src) implicated in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer using immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that patients younger than 50 years of age had a better 5-year survival rate in all tumor stages. We found that the expression of COX-2 and Src correlated significantly with survival in this group without any significant impact attributable to TFF1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study demonstrates that young gastric cancer patients have a better prognostic outlook that could in part be explained by the differential expression of COX-2 and Src.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schildberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merkel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agaimy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dimmler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schlabrakowski
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Croner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leupolt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hohenberger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Allgayer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000032:analysis*; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016392:Proto-Oncogene Proteins pp60(c-src) / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C051838:TFF1 protein, human; D000071163:Trefoil Factor-1; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D016392:Proto-Oncogene Proteins pp60(c-src)
keywords: better survival; gastric cancer; young patients