The prognostic value of β-catenin and LEF-1 expression in patients with operable gastric carcinoma.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of β-catenin and LEF-1 expression in patients with operable gastric cancer that receive adjuvant treatment and the relationship between demographic and histopathological variables.In this study, 82 gastric cancer patients treated with adjuvant treatment after surgery and followed in the Medical Oncology Department of Kocaeli University were included. β-catenin and LEF-1 expression were examined by immunuhistochemical analysis in paraffin embedded tumor tissues of the patients.Median age was 56 (26-81) and follow up was 19 months (4-61). Performance status (ECOG) were 0-1 in all patients. Male/female ratio was 53/29 (64.6/35.4%). The median disease free survival (DFS) time was 17 months (SE: 3 95% CI: 11-23) and 3 years DFS rate was 39.7%. The median overall survival (OS) time was 28 months (SE: 4 95% CI: 20-36) and 3 years OS rate was 41.2%. There was no statistical correlation between β-catenin and LEF-1 expression and age, gender, performance status, tumor localization, T and N stage, lymphovascular, perinoral invasion, grade and operation type (>0.005). According to univariate analysis, we did not find significant effect of age, gender, T stage, lymphovascular, perinoral invasion, grade and operation type on overall survival (p>0.005). Good performance status (ECOG 0), tumor infiltration without diffuse type like linitis plastica, and lower N stage had positive effect on survival respectively (p=0.04, 0.033 and 0.005).In this study group, we found that only N stage was an independent prognostic factor (<0.005). Demographic features of the patients, histopathological characteristics other than N stage, β-catenin and LEF-1 prognostic effects have not been shown.