INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-II AS A PROGNOSTIC FACTOR IN PULMONARY ADENOCARCINOMA

We stained resected specimens from 117 patients with pulmonary adenoca rcinoma for insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) by the avidin-bioti n-peroxidase (ABC) method and evaluated the usefulness of IGF-II as a prognostic factor. The patients were classified into the IGF-II (+) gr oups showing staining of 1% or more cancer cells (60 patients) and the IGF-II (-) groups showing staining of < 1% (57 patients). The 5-year survival rate was 22% in the IGF-II (+) group and 54% in the IGF-II (- ) group (P < 0.01). Our results suggest the usefulness of IGF-II stain ability as a prognostic factor of pulmonary adenocarcinoma. (C) 1996 W iley-Liss, Inc.