Association of immunohistochemical detection of urokinase-type plasminogen activator with metastasis and prognosis in colorectal cancer.

We evaluated urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) expression with immunohistochemistry in 90 cases of colorectal cancer and compared it with the clinicopathological findings. Patients who had cancer cells which were stained intensively relative to the background were recognized as uPA-positive patients. The uPA-positive rate was 36.7% (33/90) in total cases. There was a significant correlation was also seen between uPA expression and liver metastasis. Prognosis was poorer in the uPA-positive patients than in the uPA-negative patients. Therefore, uPA may be a good predictor of metastasis and prognosis.