The associations of biological parameters with the effects of radiotherapy and cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy in uterine cervical cancer

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the associations of the expressions of some im­portant biomarkers that we have previously investigated with the clinic pathological characteristics and prognoses of patients with uterine cervical cancer in Taiwan. Methods: One hundred and three patients with cervical cancer were recruited consecutively between March 1999 and March 2006. Among them, 33 received radiotherapy or cis­platin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and 70 did not. We constructed cervical tissue microarrays and analyzed the associations of the immunoreactivities of human nonmetastatic clone 23 type 1 (nm23-H1), lipocalin 2, aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3 (AKR1C3), ribonucleotide reductase M2, matrix metalloproteinase-2 and carbonate anhydrase 9 with clinicopathologcial variables and prognoses of cervical cancer patients. Results: Univariate analysis revealed that positive nm23-H1 and negative lipocalin 2 predict poorer survival in patients receiving radiotherapy or CCRT. However, these biomarkers were not associated with recurrence. Multivariate analy­sis showed that only positive lipocalin 2 is predictive of better survival in these patients (P=0.005). Deep stromal invasion was the only predictive parameter in patients not receiving radiotherapy or CCRT (P=0.036). Conclusion: Lipocalin 2 is applicable as a clinical target for cervical cancer patients receiving radiotherapy or CCRT in Taiwan.