Affiliations: [a] Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sütçü İmam, Kahramanmaras, Turkey | [b] Department of Pathology, Kayseri Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey | [c] Department of Radiation Oncology, Kayseri Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey | [d] Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Erciyes, Kayseri, Turkey
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Neslihan Kurtul, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Sütçü İmam, Faculty of Medicine, Campus of Avşar, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Tel.: +90 506 787 28 41; E-mail:drneslihankurtul@gmail.com
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to search the prognostic value
of SPARC expression in rectum cancer cases receiving postoperative
radiotherapy. METHODS: Forty three rectal cancer patients are recruited to this
retrospective study. All patients received postoperative radiotherapy which
the median dose was 5040 cGy and concomitant chemotherapy. Samples taken
from their paraffin blocks were examined with immunohistochemical
procedures. RESULTS: When the association between SPARC expression and the
clinicopathological feature was examined, there was a significant
association between age and expression levels. Overall survival of patients
with low expression was found to be 67 months whereas the overall survival
of the patients with high expression was 32 months and the difference was
statistically significant. Time to local recurrence of patients with low
expression was found to be 74 months whereas time to local recurrence of the
patients with high expression was 31 months. Progression free survival of
the patients with low expression and high expression were 67 months and 32
months, respectively. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, high
expression of SPARC was found to be associated with a statistically
significant shorter overall survival and progression free survival. CONCLUSIONS: High expression of SPARC is related to worse prognosis
in rectal cancer patients.
