E-cadherin expression in oesophageal carcinoma treated with high-dose radiotherapy; correlation with pretreatment parameters and treatment outcome

Background and purpose: E-cadherin plays an important role in the cell-cell contact of normal epithelium. Loss of E-cadherin expression may be related to tumour invasiveness and metastatic potential. In a group of patients tr eated for oesophageal carcinoma by radiotherapy only, we found that immunoh istochemically detected p53 expression correlated with reduced survival, ma inly because of the occurrence of distant metastases. We questioned whether , in this group of patients, E-cadherin expression was concomitantly altere d and served as a predictive factor for the development of distant metastas es. Materials and methods: Immunostaining for E-cadherin was performed on p araffin-embedded biopsy specimens from patients with adenocarcinoma and squ amous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. E-cadherin status and its correlati on with regard to pretreatment parameters and treatment outcome were determ ined. Results: An aberrant staining pattern of E-cadherin did not correlate with any of the pretreatment parameters. In a univariate analysis, a signi ficantly reduced metastatic potential was found for tumours that had an abe rrant cellular staining pattern for E-cadherin, which was strongest for squ amous cell carcinomas. However, in a multivariate analysis only p53 status correlated significantly with the occurrence of distant metastases. Conclus ion: Although, in univariate analysis, aberrant E-cadherin expression serve d as a better, rather than a worse prognostic factor, p53 status remained t he only significant parameter in multivariate analysis, in this group of pa tients with oesophageal carcinoma. No relationship between p53 status and E -cadherin expression was found.