title: HOXB7 predicts poor clinical outcome in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for most esophageal cancer in Asia, and is the sixth common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Previous studies indicated HOXB7 is overexpressed in ESCC tissues, but data on prognostic value are limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 76 advanced ESCC cases were investigated. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression levels of HOXB7 and Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models to determine prognostic significance. Stratified analysis was also performed according to lymph node (LN) status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Kaplan-Meier curve analysis indicated that HOXB7 positive patients had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than HOXB7 negative patients. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model indicated only TNM stage and HOXB7 expression to be independent predictors of overall survival of advanced ESCC patients. HOXB7 indicated poor OS in both lymph node negative (LN?) and lymph node positive (LN+) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HOXB7 predicts poor prognosis of advanced ESCC patients and can be applied as an independent prognostic predictor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China E-mail : longqy2005@sina.com.
authors.forename: Qing-Yun
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao-Long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiang-Hui
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C490538:HOXB7 protein, human; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins