ASSOCIATION OF IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF UROKINASE-TYPE PLASMINOGEN-ACTIVATOR WITH METASTASIS AND PROGNOSIS IN COLORECTAL-CANCER

We evaluated urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) expression wit h immunohistochemistry in 90 cases of colorectal cancer and compared i t with the clinicopathological findings. Patients who had cancer cells which were stained intensively relative to the background were recogn ized as uPA-positive patients. The uPA-positive rate was 36.7% (33/90) in total cases. There was a significant correlation between uPA expre ssion and lymph node metastasis. A significant correlation was also se en between uPA expression and liver metastasis. Prognosis was poorer i n the uPA-positive patients than in the uPA-negative patients. Therefo re, uPA may be a good predictor of metastasis and prognosis.