The prognostic significance of tumour cell proliferation in squamous cell carcinomas of the oesophagus

Abstract

Summary Tumour samples from 150 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus were investigated immunohistochemically with the monoclonal antibody MIB-I, which recognises proliferating cells. Using light microscopy, the number of MIB-I-positive tumour cells was counted in the areas with the highest proliferative activity. The MIB-1 index was determined as the proportion of MIB-I-positive and MIB-1-negative tumour cells. A considerable variation of the MIB-1 indices was found between the different tumours with a minimum of 6% and a maximum of 95% (median, 33%). The MIB-1 index correlated significantly with the mitotic activity in the tumour tissue (r =0.33; P=0.0001) and with the proportion of apoptotic tumour cells (r=0.25; P=0.0017). No significant correlation was found between the MIB-1 index and various other prognostic parameters including pT classification, pN classification, tumour size, tumour grade, blood vessel invasion and lymphatic vessel invasion. In the univariate survival analysis no significant difference was found between tumours with low (<33%) and high MIB-1 index (>33%) (5-year survival rate: low MIB-1 index, 19.2%; high MIB-1 index, 22.2%). In a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis only the parameters lymphatic vessel invasion (P=0.0001), pT classification (P=0.0034) and pN classification (P=0.0256), but not the MIB-1 index, could be verified as independent prognostic variables. In conclusion, evaluation of the MIB-1 index does not provide prognostic information for oesophageal cancer patients.

Prognostic significance of cyclin D1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with surgery alone or combined therapy modalities

“…However, the prognostic significance of tumor cell proliferation is controversial in esophageal SCC (Youssef et al, 1995;Ikeguchi et al, 1997). Thus, in our series, we did not find any impact of tumor cell proliferation on overall survival of surgically treated esophageal cancer patients (Sarbia et al, 1996). On the other hand, we found an association between cyclin D1 expression and the presence of regional lymph node metastasis.…”

Immunohistochemical markers associated with brain metastases in patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma

“…The Ki-67 LI correlates well with the predicted growth fraction, although it consistently overestimates the proliferative activity of tumors and, thus, is not an exact reflection of tumor growth. 40 Sarbia et al 41 observed a significant association between the Ki-67 LI and mitotic activity in tumor tissue. Numerous studies have reported a correlation between the Ki-67 LI and other markers of cell proliferation.…”

So-Called Carcinosarcoma of the Esophagus: A Clinicopathologic, Immunohistochemical and DNA Flow-Cytometric Analysis of 6 Cases

“…However, the prognostic significance of these parameters is still controversial [32, 33, 34, 35, 36]. In 3 cases in whom the mitotic index was more than 10/10 hpf, S-phase fraction and PCNA index were >25 and 40%, respectively.…”