Clinical Significance of Expression of DCC Protein in Colorectal Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to discover the clinical importance of the DCC protein as a genetic factor that takes part in the metastatic process of colorectal cancer. METHODS: We performed clinical study among 113 patients who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and consequently operated, on Korea University Guro Hospital from Jan. 1994 to Dec. 1995. At the immunohistochemical staining, 106 patients, were analyzed according to their recurrence and survival. RESULTS: From 106 patients 23 (21.7%) showed recurrences and distant metastases during follow up period. There was no difference in local recurrence and distant metastasis between the positive and negative groups. The stages did not contribute to making difference between positive and negative groups, except Dukes' C2, where the recurrence rate in the DCC protein negative group was higher than positive group, and it was of clinical significance. The relationship between survival rate and DCC protein expression was not clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of DCC protein is relevant to the recurrence, distant metastasis, and prognosis of colorectal cancer in many reports. However, in our study, there was no correlation between the expression of DCC protein and recurrence and survival rate, except Dukes' C2 stage. More cases are needed to confirm our result.