ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies. Various prognostic markers have been proposed and individualized treatment strategies have been adapted according to tumor molecular and genetic characteristics. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively analyze a possible association between the expression of COX- 2 and EGFR and clinical and histopathological factors of patients undergoing colon surgery in a Greek population. METHODS: Data from our department's prospectively collected database were retrieved for a total of 100 consecutive colectomies that were performed in our department. We examined patient age, sex, tumor stage and location of the tumor. Histological data were also retrieved concerning major tumor diameter, histological grade and immunohistochemical expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and epithermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). RESULTS: There was no difference between tumors of different differentiation in the expression of EGFR (p=0.146), while there was statistically significant difference in the expression of COX-2 between these groups (p=0.001). There was no difference between these patients in the expression of EGFR (p=0.136), while a statistically significant difference was found in the expression of COX-2 between the same patient groups (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: These data are quite important in order to certify that colorectal cancer molecular and genetic diversity between different study populations is not a confounding factor in the application and clinical implementation of trending individualized decision making in oncological treatments.
