Clinical significance of Fas, VEGF, and EGFR expression in advanced gastric carcinoma.

Abstract

58 Background: Researches had proved that apoptotic signal proteins Fas-mediated cellular apoptosis influenced development of gastric carcinoma and affected survival of gastric carcinoma patients. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) over expression had been associated with poor survival in several cancers including gastric carcinoma. Methods: Immunohisto-chemistry was performed to detect Fas, EGFR and VEGF protein expression in 60 newly diagnosed patients with gastric carcinoma in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from November 1999 to June 2005. Clinical Data of these patients were reviewed. Time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were compared by log-rank test according to the expression status of Fas, EGFR and VEGF. Results: There were 40 males and 20 females, all patients were stage IV. All patients were treated with infused fluorouracil plus leucovorin and oxaliplatin or paclitaxel. The positive rate of Fas, EGFR and VEGF in gastric carcinoma was 73.3%, 35% and 40% respectively. TTP for patients with Fas positive was significantly superior to patients with Fas-negative (p<0.05). EGFR and VEGF were not correlated with TTP (p>0.05). Fas, EGFR and VEGF were not associated with overall survival(p>0.05). Conclusions: Fas, EGFR and VEGF are often expressed in gastric carcinoma. Fas expression is correlated with longer TTP. EGFR and VEGF expression were not associated with TTP. Fas, EGFR and VEGF were not a prognostic factor for OS.