e14618 Background: Wnt signal transduction pathway plays an important role in carcinogenesis. Wnt signal transduction pathway is a key component of the β-catenin-TCF / LEF family of transcription factors interact with and activate the transcription of Wnt target genes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of β-katenin and LEF-1 expression in patients with operable gastric cancer and the relationship between demographic and histopathological variables. Methods: In this study, 82 gastric cancer patients treated with adjuvant treatment after operation and followed in Oncology Department between 2006-2010 were included. β-katenin and LEF-1 expression were examined by immunuhistochemical analysis in paraffin embedded tumor tissues of the patients. Results: In this study, median age was 56 (26-81) years and median follow up was 19 (4-61) months. Performance status (ECOG PS) were 0-1 in all patients. Men/women ratio was 53/29 (64.6/35.4%). Median disease free survival (DFS) time was 17 months (SE:3 95% CI: 11-23) in 19 months of follow up. 3 years DFS rate was 39.7%. In all patients group, median overall survival (OS) time was 28 months (SE:4 95% CI: 20-36) and 3 years OS rate was 41,2%. There was no statistical correlation between β-catenin and LEF-1 expression and age, gender, performance status, tumor localization, T and N stage, lymphovascular, perinoral invasion, grade and operation type (>0.05). In addition, there was also no correlation between β-catenin and LEF-1 expression. According to univariate analysis, we did not find significant effect on age, gender, T stage, lymphovascular, perinoral invasion, grade and operation type on overall survival (p>0.05). Good performans status (ECOG 0), tumor infiltration without diffuse type like linitis plastica, and lower N stage had positive effect on survival (p=0.04, 0.033 and 0.005, respectively). In multivariate cox regression analysis, only N stage was found as an independent prognostic factor (p<0.05). Conclusions: In this study group, we found that the only N stage as an independent prognostic factor. Demographic features of the patients, histopathological characteristics other than N stage, β-catenin and LEF-1 prognostic effects have not been shown.
Author's reply to: “Prognostic value of cetuximab related skintoxicity in metastatic colorectal cancer patients and its correlation with parameters of the EGFR signal transduction pathway: Results from a randomized trial of the GERMAN AIO CRC Study Group”