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Relation between thymidylate synthase expression and survival in colon carcinoma, and determination of appropriate application of 5-fluorouracil by immunohistochemical method

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Abstract

Background

Thymidylate synthase (TS) is regarded as a parameter of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemosensitivity for colorectal carcinoma. Recent researchers indicate that the chemosensitivity of 5-FU for colorectal carcinoma with low expression of TS is better than tumors with high expression of TS. But the relation between TS expression and overall survival of curatively resected colorectal cancer patients has been less studied.

Methods

Specimens of curatively resected colon carcinoma from 148 patients were included in this study. TS expression in the tumor was assessed by immunohistochemical staining technique, and the patients were categorized into TS-(+) and TS-(−) groups. First, the relation between TS expression and survival of patients was examined. Next, for each group, we compared survival between the chemotherapy-(+) and the chemotherapy-(−) subgroup.

Results

Overall survival was significantly better in the TS-(−) group (n=107) than in the TS-(+) group (n=41) (P=.0003). In the TS-(−) group, there was little difference between the chemotherapy-(+) and the chemotherapy-(−) subgroup. In the TS-(+) group, the survival of the chemotherapy-(+) subgroup was significantly better than the chemotherapy-(−) subgroup (P=.0439).

Conclusions

TS, itself, may be a prognostic factor for colon carcinoma; and 5-FU adjuvant chemotherapy may be appropriate for colon carcinoma with high expression of TS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Tsuruo PhD

  2. Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    Tetsuichiro Muto MD, PhD

  3. Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8655, Tokyo, Japan

    Tomohiro Takenoue MD, Hirokazu Nagawa MD, PhD, Keiji Matsuda MD, PhD, Shin Fujii MD, PhD, Marcelo Eidi Nita MD, Kenji Hatano MD & Joji Kitayama MD, PhD

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  1. Tomohiro Takenoue MD
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  2. Hirokazu Nagawa MD, PhD
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  3. Keiji Matsuda MD, PhD
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  4. Shin Fujii MD, PhD
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  5. Marcelo Eidi Nita MD
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  6. Kenji Hatano MD
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  7. Joji Kitayama MD, PhD
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  8. Takashi Tsuruo PhD
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  9. Tetsuichiro Muto MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Tomohiro Takenoue MD.

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Takenoue, T., Nagawa, H., Matsuda, K. et al. Relation between thymidylate synthase expression and survival in colon carcinoma, and determination of appropriate application of 5-fluorouracil by immunohistochemical method. Annals of Surgical Oncology 7, 193–198 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02523653

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02523653

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