[Effect of cyclin D1 protein expression on the prognosis of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma treated with preoperative radiotherapy].

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of cyclin D1 protein expression on the prognosis of esophageal carcinoma treated with preoperative radiotherapy.

METHODS

From Nov. 1979 to Dec. 1996, 164 patients were treated with preoperative radiation followed by radical esophagectomy in our hospital. All cases were confirmed by pathology as squamous-cell carcinoma. Two vertical radiation fields were used to deliver a total tumor dose of 30-40 Gy, with 15-20 fractions in 3-4 weeks. Immunohistochemical staining of cyclin D1 was performed using a streptavidin-biotin staining technique.

RESULTS

Cyclin D1 protein expression was positive in 62.5%(65/104) and 60.8%(93/153) for pre- and post-radiation tumor specimens, respectively. The expression level did not change following radiation. Post-radiation cyclin D1 expression influenced the survival (P = 0.055), and the survival rate differed significantly between patients who expressed cyclin D1 and those who did not (P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Cyclin D1 expression is of prognostic value for esophageal carcinoma. It may provide a reference criterion for the clinical staging of esophageal cancer.