Favorable prognosis in colorectal cancer patients with co-expression of c-MYC and ß-catenin.
The purpose of our research was to determine the prognostic impact and clinicopathological feature of c-MYC and β-catenin overexpression in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.



Using immunohistochemistry (IHC), we measured the c-MYC and β-catenin expression in 367 consecutive CRC patients retrospectively (cohort 1). Also, c-MYC expression was measured by mRNA in situ hybridization. Moreover, to analyze regional heterogeneity, three sites of CRC including the primary, distant and lymph node metastasis were evaluated in 176 advanced CRC patients (cohort 2).



In cohort 1, c-MYC protein and mRNA overexpression and ß-catenin nuclear expression were found in 201 (54.8 %), 241 (65.7 %) and 221 (60.2 %) of 367 patients, respectively, each of which was associated with improved prognosis (P = 0.011, P = 0.012 and P = 0.033, respectively). Moreover, co-expression of c-MYC and ß-catenin was significantly correlated with longer survival by univariate (P = 0.012) and multivariate (P = 0.048) studies. Overexpression of c-MYC protein was associated with mRNA overexpression (ρ, 0.479; P < 0.001) and nuclear ß-catenin expression (ρ, 0.282; P < 0.001). Expression of c-MYC and ß-catenin was heterogeneous depending on location in advanced CRC patients (cohort 2). Nevertheless, both c-MYC and ß-catenin expression in primary cancer were significantly correlated with improved survival in univariate (P = 0.001) and multivariate (P = 0.002) analyses. c-MYC and ß-catenin expression of lymph node or distant metastatic tumor was not significantly correlated with patients' prognosis (P > 0.05).



Co-expression of c-MYC and ß-catenin was independently correlated with favorable prognosis in CRC patient. We concluded that the expression of c-MYC and ß-catenin might be useful predicting indicator of CRC patient's prognosis.
Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 173-82 Gumi-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, Republic of Korea.
Kyu Sang
KS
Lee
Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 173-82 Gumi-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, Republic of Korea.|Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro (Yongon-dong), Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea.
Yoonjin
Y
Kwak
Department of Pathology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 875, Haeun-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan, 612-896, Republic of Korea.
Kyung Han
KH
Nam
Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 173-82 Gumi-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, Republic of Korea.
Duck-Woo
DW
Kim
Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 173-82 Gumi-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, Republic of Korea.
Sung-Bum
SB
Kang
Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 173-82 Gumi-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, Republic of Korea.|Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro (Yongon-dong), Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea.
Gheeyoung
G
Choe
Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro (Yongon-dong), Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-799, Republic of Korea.
Woo Ho
WH
Kim
Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 173-82 Gumi-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 463-707, Republic of Korea. hye2@snu.ac.kr.
Hye Seung
0000-0002-1667-7986
HS
Lee
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; C489427:MYC protein, human; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D051176:beta Catenin
Colorectal cancer; Immunohistochemistry; Prognosis; c-MYC; mRNA in situ hybridization; ß-catenin