Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) represents a key modulatory molecule in inflammation and carcinogenesis. COX-2 is known to have multiple tumorigenic effects. Increased expression of COX-2 has been observed in a variety of tumors including pancreatic cancer. In the literature, the prognostic significance of COX-2 expression including the role of antibody used for an evaluation of COX-2 expression profile have been discussed. A significant inverse relationship between COX-2 overexpression and survival rates has previously been reported in retrospective studies of different types of malignancies. Conflicting results have been shown in pancreatic cancer and the possible role of primary antibody used for the detection of COX-2 expression has been suggested.
A research article to be published on April 21, 2010 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question.
The overexpression of COX-2 was demonstrated in a significant proportion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas using both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and a relationship of COX-2 to the biological process of pancreatic cancer was confirmed.
Using the monoclonal antibody, a significantly shorter disease free survival was found in patients with COX-2 positive tumors. No significant results were obtained with regard to overall survival. High histological grade and nodal involvement were associated with significantly shorter survival.
In conclusion, the level of COX-2 expression does not seem to be a valuable independent prognostic factor. Immunohistochemical assessment of COX-2 expression is not superior to the conventional prognostic factors such as grade, stage and nodal status.
Reference: Hermanova M, Karasek P, Tomasek J, Lenz J, Jarkovsky J, Dite P. Comparative analysis of clinicopathological correlations of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in resectable pancreatic cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2010; 16(15): 1879-1884 http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v16/i15/1879.htm
Correspondence to: Marketa Hermanova, MD, PhD, First Department of Pathologic Anatomy, Medical Faculty of Masaryk University and St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekarska 53, 65691 Brno, Czech Republic. marketa.hermanova@fnusa.cz Telephone: +420-54-3183218 Fax: +420-54-3182100
About World Journal of Gastroenterology
World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection and provides a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2008 IF: 2.081. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.
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World Journal of Gastroenterology