Abstract 902: Associations between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms and survival in patients with colorectal cancer treated with 5-FU-based adjuvant chemotherapy: A thirteen years follow-up study

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE The study examined the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms and overall survival (OS) of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) treated with 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS We genotyped MTHFR polymorphisms (C677T and A1298C) for 530 CRC patients treated with 5-FU-based chemotherapy after receiving surgery between 1995 and 1999. Survival analyses on MTHFR polymorphisms were performed using log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier curve. The association between MTHFR genotypes and survival was analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models and haplotype analysis. RESULTS After 13 years follow-up, the median survival year was 4.77 (95% CI, 4.0 to 6.1). The OS was significantly longer in CRC patients with MTHFR 677 CT+TT genotypes compared with those with 677 CC genotype (HR = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.98). Although no association was found between the MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and OS in CRC, this polymorphism showed significant differences in OS in rectal cancer. Among rectal cancer patients, OS was shorter for patients with the AC+CC genotypes than those with the AA genotype (HR = 1.94; 95% CI, 1.34 to 2.80). In haplotype analysis, better survival was related to colon patients carrying the MTHFR 677T-1298A haplotype, but worse survival was linked to rectal cancer carrying the MTHFR 677C-1298C haplotype. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, our study is the largest to investigate the relationship between MTHFR polymorphisms and OR in CRC patients in a Chinese population. Our findings suggest that MTHFR genotypes provide prognostic information in CRC patients treated with 5-FU-based chemotherapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 902.