title: The Correlation Between RhoA Expression and Clinicopathological Characteristics in Gastric Cancer Patients After Curative Surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The expression of RhoA, a member of the ras homologue family, is reported to be involved in tumorigenesis in some cancers; however, its prognostic value in gastric cancer is controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 1988 and January 2005, a total of 206 gastric cancer patients receiving curative surgery were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemical staining of the RhoA protein was performed, and the clinicopathological characteristics and initial recurrence patterns were compared between low RhoA expression (n = 55) and high RhoA expression (n = 151) gastric cancer patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For intestinal-type (n = 134) gastric cancer, there is no significant difference between the clinicopathological characteristics and RhoA expression. However, for diffuse-type (n = 82) gastric cancer, high RhoA expression was associated with more advanced pathological N category compared to low RhoA expression. A multivariate analysis revealed that age, pathological T and N categories, and RhoA expression were independent prognostic factors for overall survival after curative surgery. For all patients, the five-year overall survival rates and disease-free survival rates were higher in patients with low RhoA expression compared to those with high RhoA expression, which was observed in diffuse-type gastric cancer, not in intestinal-type gastric cancer. With regard to the initial recurrence pattern, patients with high RhoA expression had more distant metastasis compared to those with low RhoA expression, especially more liver metastasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RhoA expression is an independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer, especially for diffuse-type. We should be aware of liver metastasis during the follow-up of gastric cancer with high RhoA expression.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, No. 201, Sec. 2, Shipai Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City, 11217, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kuo-Hung
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yuan-Tzu
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Ming-Huang
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yee
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Su-Shun
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Anna Fen-Yau
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chew-Wun
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shih-Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Muh-Hwa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yi-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Shyr
authors.forename: Wen-Liang
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C066737:RHOA protein, human; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein