Study of prognostic predictors for non-small cell lung cancer

Background: The outcome of treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains poor. One of the reasons is that in many patients its biological be havior does not follow a definite pattern, and can not be accurately predic ted prior to treatment. In the present study we have examined the significa nt prognostic predictors. Methods: One hundred and fifty-eight patients wit h NSCLC entered this study. They received surgery alone (95 cases) or combi ned therapy with postoperative irradiation (63 cases). Three types of data have been collected: (1) clinical characteristics: age, sex, Karnofsky perf ormance status, weight loss, T stage, and N stage; (2) histopathology studi es: histological types, tumor differentiation, status of vascular and lymph atic vessel invasions; (3) laboratory measurements by immunohistochemistry assay: oncoprotein overexpression, including pan-ras, c-myc, neu, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and p53, and tumor cell proliferation by pro liferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Results: For the entire group, 5-ye ar actuarial survival, local control and distant metastasis rates were 44, 63 and 40%, respectively. In the univariate analyses, T stage, N stage and lymphatic vessel invasion correlated to survival; T stage and N stage to lo cal control; N stage, lymphatic vessel invasion and pan-res protein positiv e stain to distant metastasis. When the index of oncoprotein positive stain s was used, the higher index was associated with a higher distant metastasi s rate. In the multivariate analyses, T stage, N stage and lymphatic vessel invasion could be independent predictors for survival; T stage for local c ontrol; N stage, lymphatic vessel invasion and index of positive oncoprotei n stains for distant metastasis. Conclusions: Late T and N stages, lymphati c vessel invasion and multi-oncoprotein positive stains would predict poor prognoses for NSCLC. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights rese rved.