title: Predictive utility of cyclo-oxygenase-2 expression by colon and rectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inducible enzyme expressed in areas of inflammation, is a target of interest for colorectal cancer therapy. Currently, the predictive significance of COX-2 in colorectal cancer remains unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue microarrays were constructed using 118 colon cancer and 85 rectal cancer specimens; 44 synchronous metastatic colon cancer and 22 rectal cancer lymph nodes were also evaluated. COX-2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Univariate analysis was used to determine the predictive significance of clinicopathologic variables. Overall survival, disease-specific survival, and disease-free survival were the main outcomes examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  COX-2 was found to be expressed in 93% of colon cancers and 87% of rectal cancers. Decreased COX-2 expression was related to decreased disease-specific survival (P = .016) and decreased disease-free survival (P = .019) in the rectal cancer cohort but not in the colon cancer cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  COX-2 expression has predictive utility for management of rectal but not colon cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Paul's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Room C303, Burrard Building, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Kristel C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lobo Prabhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Paul's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Room C303, Burrard Building, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia and Michael Smith Genome Sciences Center, British Columbia Cancer Research Center, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Simon K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Paul's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Room C303, Burrard Building, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Phang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; PhenoPath Laboratories, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Allen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gown
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia and Michael Smith Genome Sciences Center, British Columbia Cancer Research Center, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, St Paul's Hospital and University of British Columbia, Room C303, Burrard Building, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: smwiseman@providencehealth.bc.ca.
authors.forename: Sam M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wiseman
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D012007:Rectum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human
keywords: Colon cancer; Colorectal cancer; Cyclo-oxygenase-2; Immunohistochemistry; Rectal cancer