title: Prognostic importance of increased cyclooxygenase-2 levels in colorectal carcinomas: a 5-year single-institution study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  COX-2-selective inhibitors are used in the prevention and management of colorectal carcinogenesis. Our objective was to investigate if COX-2 levels have prognostic value in patients diagnosed with colorectal carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of 112 patients diagnosed with colorectal carcinoma between 2000-2004 from the General Surgery Department at Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Gulhane Military Medical Academy. Patients were assessed according to age, gender, localization of the tumor, stage of the tumor, remote metastasis status, patient survival, COX-2 levels and grade of differentiation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  COX-2 levels significantly affect the duration of survival (P=0.026) and overall survival (P=0.013). The COX-2 significance value showed a tendency to change from negative to positive while a statistically meaningful decrease was observed in the survival value (r=-0.25; P=0.007) in groups related with the survival duration of cases (r=-0.24; P=0.01). The median survival was 36 (26.35-45.65) months. During the examination of survival statuses of cases, a statistically meaningful difference was determined between patients whom were alive and dead (P=0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that COX-2 levels are a negative predictor of survival.
authors.affiliation: Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Service of General Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suleyman Suat
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Okudur
authors.affiliation: Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Scholl of Military Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: M Tahir
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Özer
authors.affiliation: Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Scholl of Military Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sezai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirbaş
authors.affiliation: Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Haydarpasa Training Hospital, Service of Emergency Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalemoğlu
authors.affiliation: Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Scholl of Military Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harlak
authors.affiliation: Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Scholl of Military Medicine, Department of General Surgery, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kağan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Coşkun
authors.affiliation: Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Scholl of Military Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eryılmaz
keywords: Cyclooxygenase-2; Prognosis; Rectal carcinoma