PKCη is a novel prognostic marker in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Novel biomarkers which may serve as therapeutic targets are essential for lung cancer treatment. Here we investigated the prognostic significance of protein kinase Cη (PKCη), a cell cycle regulator involved in tumorigenesis and chemotherapy resistance, in patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-three chemotherapy-naïve patients were examined for PKCη by immunohistochemistry and divided into PKCη H-Score tertiles (low, intermediate and high). Time until event (relapse or mortality) within one year was determined using Cochran-Armitage test and Cox proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: The distribution of patients according to clinical stage 1-4 was: 27%, 5%, 26% and 42%, respectively. PKCη overexpression was associated with advanced stage (p=0.03) and the risk for an event (p=0.045). Patients of the lowest tertile were less likely to experience an event. CONCLUSION: PKCη is a novel prognostic marker in NSCLC that may predict poor prognosis. The use of PKCη-specific inhibitors in NSCLC may prove valuable.

p27kip1 Expression in non-small cell lung cancer is not an independent prognostic factor.

BACKGROUND: p27(Kip1) (p27) plays an important role in cancer cell cycle regulation. Recent evidence however, suggests that p27 may function as an oncogene rather than a tumour suppressor gene. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-two patients with previously untreated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were studied for the association between the immunohistochemical localization of p27 through a semi-quantitative method and time-to-progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The relationship between p27 H-Score and both TTP and OS was polynomial. Short TTP in patients with metastasis or whose tumors progressed during the eight-month period after diagnosis was statistically associated with overexpression of PIRH2 (p<0.001). In patients whose tumours progressed later, long TTP was associated with NSCLC of the non-adenocarcinoma type (p=0.027), p27 H-Score (p=0.032) and well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (p=0.047). None of the parameters correlated with duration of OS. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that p27 H-Score may not appear to be an independent prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC.