We aim to explore the associations of fascin-1 and cadherin-17 in gastric cancer (GC) to the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of GC. Case group included 204 GC tissues while control group comprised 204 paired adjacent cancer tissues. Expressions of fascin-1 and cadherin-17 were measured with immunohistochemistry and western blot and then analyzed statistically in relation to clinicopathologic features and survival time. Survival curve was drawn by Kaplan-Meier method, and independent prognostic factors were identified with Cox proportional hazards regression model. Fascin-1 was positively expressed in 45.1 % of GC tissues and in 27.5 % of adjacent cancer tissues, respectively (P < 0.05); cadherin-17 was positively expressed in 51.5 % of GC tissues and in 33.8 % of adjacent cancer tissues (P < 0.05). Fascin-1 expression in GC tissues was related to tumor size (P = 0.001) and Lauren classification (P = 0.001). Cadherin-17 expression in GC tissues was related to tumor size (P < 0.001), Lauren classification (P = 0.009), clinical staging (P = 0.001), and distant metastasis (P = 0.002). Fascin-1 expression was positively correlated with cadherin-17 expression in GC tissues (r = 0.828, P < 0.01). Patients with positive expression of both fascin-1 and cadherin-17 had lower survival rates than those with negative expression (all P < 0.01). Cox regression analysis showed that fascin-1 expression, cadherin-17 expression, tumor size, and differentiation were independent risk factors for GC (all P < 0.05). Fascin-1 and cadherin-17 are related to clinicopathologic features of GC and are independent adverse prognostic factors for GC.

Background Although appl1 is overexpressed in many cancers, its status in gastric cancer (gc) is not known. In