Prognostic value of thymidylate synthase, epidermal growth factor receptors and vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with stage III colon cancer

Abstract

Purpose: We studied the prognostic value of thymidylate synthase (TS), Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFR) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) expression in primary colon cancer (CC).

Patients and methods: Those three markers were immunohistochemically assessed on tumour sections from 100 patients with CC Dukes C. All patients received the same adjuvant chemotherapy with FU/Leukovocin according to Mayo protocol. Considering the clinical course they were classified in two groups: bad in which all patients progressed and good in which neither progressed during the five year follow up period.

Results: TS, EGFR and VEGF were an independent prognostic factor for time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). Findings of at least two maximum expressed investigated markers, significantly increases the risk of progression which influences shorter five year survival, and the single maximum expression does not necessarily have to be a bad prognostic sign.

Conclusion: Highest expression of TS, EGFR and VEGF carries prognostic significance with respect to TTP and OS for patients with Dukes C colon cancer.