J Korean Soc Ther Radiol Oncol.  1999 Sep;17(3):203-208.

Spontaneous Apoptosis and Metastasis in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lung

• Oh YK
• Kee KH

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether spontaneous apoptosis has prognostic value among patients with squamous cell carcinoma of lung.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Material from 19 patients who received thoracic irradiation between 1990 and 1994 was analyzed. Their stages were II (1), IIIa (8), IIIb (5), and IV (5). Patients were observed from 5 to 67 months (median : 17 months). The spontaneous apoptosis index (AI) and p53 mutation were measured by immunohistochemical stains.
RESULTS
AI was found to range from 0 to 1% (median 0.4%). Patients with low AI (AI< or =median) had a much higher distant metastasis rate at diagnosis than patients with high AI. By analysis of prognostic factors for survival, M stage was significant in univariate analysis. AI, chemotherapy, M stage, T stage, and stage were significant in multivariate analysis. The correlation between the AI and p53 mutation was not seen.
CONCLUSION
AI was related with distant metastasis at diagnosis and not with p53 mutation. Also low AI group tended to have shorter survival time than high AI group.

Keyword

Lung cancer; Spontaneous apoptosis; Metastasis

MeSH Terms

Apoptosis*
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell*
Coloring Agents
Diagnosis
Drug Therapy
Humans
Lung Neoplasms
Lung*
Multivariate Analysis
Neoplasm Metastasis*
Coloring Agents