Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of FOXM1 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has a poor prognosis because invasion and metastasis are prevalent. To improve diagnosis, it is important to identify and characterize tumor-specific molecular markers in ESCC. FOXM1 is overexpressed and correlates with pathogenesis in a variety of human malignancies. We aimed to investigate the clinical significance of FOXM1 overexpression in ESCC.


METHODS
FOXM1 expression was assessed in ESCC specimens from 174 curatively-resected cases. The relationships between FOXM1 expression, clinicopathological parameters, and prognoses were examined.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemical analysis showed that 94 (54.0%) tumors were positive for FOXM1 expression. FOXM1 positivity did not correlate with any clinicopathological parameter. However, FOXM1-positive cases had poorer prognoses than FOXM1-negative ones (p=0.0037, log-rank test). In multivariate analysis, the following were independent prognostic factors: pT, pN, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and FOXM1 expression (hazard ratio=1.69, 95% confidence interval=1.06-2.75, p=0.027).


CONCLUSIONS
FOXM1 may be a novel prognostic factor in patients with ESCC who undergo curative resection.
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University 2-2, E2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. stakiguchi@gesurg.med.osaka-u.ac.jp.
Akihiro
A
Takata
Shuji
S
Takiguchi
Kaoru
K
Okada
Tsuyoshi
T
Takahashi
Yukinori
Y
Kurokawa
Makoto
M
Yamasaki
Hiroshi
H
Miyata
Kiyokazu
K
Nakajima
Masaki
M
Mori
Yuichiro
Y
Doki
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D000072278:Forkhead Box Protein M1; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C107585:FOXM1 protein, human; D000072278:Forkhead Box Protein M1; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors
FOXM1; esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; immunohistochemistry