title: Survival analyses correlate stanniocalcin 2 overexpression to poor prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) is overexpressed in several types of human cancers, and its overexpression positively correlates to tumor progression and poor prognosis. However, the clinical significance of STC2 overexpression in nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) has not been investigated. This study examined STC2 expression in a cohort of 94 NPC samples, and explored its value in clinical diagnosis and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tumor samples from 94 patients diagnosed in 2008 were studied. All samples were obtained prior to treatment start. All cases were clinically diagnosed and pathologically confirmed to be poorly differentiated or undifferentiated NPC without distant metastasis, and have been treated with radical radiation therapy and followed-up for five years. Survival analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 94 NPC samples, STC2 overexpression (STC2+) was detected in 65 samples (69.1%). Overall survival rate of STC2 (+) patients is significantly lower than that of patients with normal STC2 levels (72.2% vs. 96.4%, respectively, P = 0.049). Moreover, STC2 (+) is also strongly predictive of a low progression-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival (63.0% vs 92.9%. P = 0.007; and 77.0% vs 96.4%. P = 0.028). Of the 54 patients treated with IMRT, residual tumors were found in 54.8% of STC2 positive patients (17/31), but only in 17.4% of STC2 negative ones (4/23), suggesting STC2 overexpression predicts a higher risk of residual tumors after IMRT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  STC2 overexpression correlates to poor prognosis for NPC and may be useful as a novel biomarker to predict NPC responses to radiation. Whether STC2 promotes NPC progression and metastasis remains to be investigated.
authors.forename: Shaojun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Qiaojuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jiangmei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China. nianli.sang@drexel.edu.
authors.forename: Nianli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sang
authors.forename: Jianji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000556:secondary; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C114997:STC2 protein, human