Expression of RUNX3 in Human Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: RUNX3, a novel tumor suppressor, is frequently inactivated in gastric cancer. In the present study, we examined the pattern of RUNX3 expression in gastric cancer cells from gastric cancer specimens and the impact of its alteration on clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 124 samples of both gastric cancer and normal tissue were obtained from 124 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy at the Seoul Medical Center from January 2001 to December 2005. RUNX3 expression was determined by immunohistochemical staining, and the results were analyzed. Statistical analysis wabased on clinicopathological findings and differences in survival rates. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 61 years, and the male:female ratio was 1.9:1. The expression rate of RUNX3 was 59.7% (74/124). The expression rate was higher in differentiated gastric cancers (nucleus: 9.1%, cytoplasm: 57.6%) than in the undifferentiated types (nucleus: 5.2%, cytoplasm: 46.6%) (P=0.133). The 5-year survival rates according to RUNX3 expression determined from cancer tissue were 88.9% for the nucleus +/- cytoplasm(+) group of patients, 76.1% for the cytoplasm only (+) group of patients, and 65.3% for the RUNX3 negative expression group of patients (P=0.626). Only UICC TNM staging showed statistical significance related to the survival rate, as determined by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The RUNX3 expression rate was higher in differentiated gastric cancer than in the undifferentiated types without significance. Although RUNX3 expression predicted better survival, based on multivariate analysis, the finding was not statistically significant. More cases should be further evaluated.

Expression of the Peroxisome-proliferator-activated Receptor-gamma in Human Gastric Cancer

PURPOSE: Recently, interest in peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) has increased, although clinical studies of the effect of PPAR-gamma expression on gastric cancer have not been reported yet. In this study, we investigated the role of PPAR-gamma expression in gastric cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-eight (128) samples of both gastric cancer and normal tissues were obtained from 128 patients who had undergone at a curative gastrectomy at Seoul Medical Center from Jan. 2001 to Dec. 2005. PPAR-gamma expression was determined by using immunohistochemical staining, and the results were analyzed. The statistical analysis was based on clinicopathological findings and the differences in survival rates. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 61, and the male:female ratio was 1.9:1. PPAR-gamma expression was significantly higher in cancer tissues than in normal tissue (81.3% vs. 57.0%, P<0.001). There was insignificant difference between well and moderately differentiated types and poorly differentiated types in terms of the expression of PPAR-gamma (87.0% vs. 74.6%, P=0.074). In the univariate analysis the survival rate was significantly increased when PPAR-gamma was expressed in normal tissue (P=0.003). In the multivariate analysis, only the UICC TNM staging had significance related to the survival rate. CONCLUSION: The rate of PPAR-gamma expression was higher in cancer tissue than it was in normal tissue from gastric cancer patients. In the univariate analysis, PPAR-gamma expression in normal tissue had significance with respect to survival, but the multivariate analysis showed no such significance. Thus, we should further evaluate more cases to determine whether or not such a significance exists.

Surgical Treatment of Recurrent Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: Recurrent colorectal cancers have important and difficult diagnostic and treatment problems. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the rationale and the efficacy of surgical re-treatment for patients with recurrence following curative surgery for colorectal cancer. METHODS: From January 1991 to December 2002, we experienced 60 (20.9%) patients with recurred colorectal cancer among 287 patients who had curative operations in our hospital. These 60 patients were divided into three groups. Patients in group 1 had curative-intent resections, patients in group 2 had palliative resections, and patients in group 3 had conservertive treatment. The groups consisted of 17 (28.3%), 10 (16.7%) and 33 (55.0%) patients, respectively. We analyzed retrospectively those groups for any recurrence pattern and for survival. RESULTS: Of the 60 patients with recurrent colorectal cancer, in 20 (33.3%) patients the cancer recurred in the colon, and in 40 (66.7%) it recurred in the rectum. Local recurrence was seen in 9 (15.0%) patients, liver metastasis in 25 (41.7%), and pulmonary metastasis in 13 (21.7%). The 1- and 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 86.5%, 31.7%, and 15.9%, respectively, for group 1, 33.3%, 0%, and 0% for group 2, and 28.9%, 4.4%, and 4.4% for group 3. The median survival period was 31 months for group 1, 8 months for group 2, and 7 months for group 3. CONCLUSIONS: Although evaluation was difficult owing to the small number of patients with recurrent colorectal cancer, a significant difference in survival rates was observed between the treatment groups. On the basis of these results, we think that curative-intent aggressive surgery for recurrent colorectal cancer in appropriately selected cases can clearly prolong survival when compared with palliative resections and conservative treatment.

Surgical Treatment for Obstructing Carcinomas of the Left Colon and Rectum

PURPOSE: There have been many different kinds of operations for obstructing left colon (distal to splenic flexure) cancer and rectal cancer because immediate resection and anastomosis was known to cause many complications. We performed this study to analyse operative cases and evaluate which procedure had the better result. METHODS: Thirty-six cases of left colon cancer and rectal cancer with complete obstruction were analysed from April 1990 to January 2001 and those cases were divided into two groups, the group of staged procedure and the group of primary resection. 28 cases were curative operations and 8 cases were palliative operations. RESULTS: The group of staged procedures had 17 cases of curative operations with 1st. stage-colostomy and 2nd. stage-cancer resection. And the group of primary resection had 11 cases of curative operations, 6 cases of Hartmann's procedures, 2 cases with intraoperative colonic lavage and resection and 3 cases with cancer resection, anastomosis and proximal colostomy. There were no differences in the distribution of age and cancer stage between two groups. In both groups, the sigmoid colon was the most prevalent obstruction site. The staged procedure group had higher operative mortality (25%) than the primary resection group (8%). And 5-year survival rate of the primary resection group was higher than that of the staged procedure group (45%: 33%), but there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: We think that the primary resection is the better surgical procedure because of shorter hospital stay and fewer operations in the treatment of obstructing left colon and rectal cancer.