Decreased E-cadherin expression is associated with haematogenous recurrence and poor prognosis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus

• Published in: British journal of surgery Vol. 83; no. 11; pp. 1608 - 1614
• Main Authors: Tamura, S., Shiozaki, H., Miyata, M., Kadowaki, T., Inoue, M., Matsui, S., Iwazawa, T., Takayama, T., Takeichi, M., Monden, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-11-1996; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Cadherins - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - metabolism; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - secondary; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - surgery; Esophageal Neoplasms - metabolism; Esophageal Neoplasms - surgery; Esophagus; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Prognosis; Survival Analysis; Survival Rate; Tumors; Vascular Neoplasms - secondary; Histological grading; Human; Squamous cell carcinoma; Regular expression; Esophageal disease; Malignant tumor; Metastasis; Cadherin; Statistical study; Esophagus; Immunological investigation; Digestive diseases; Complication; Uncertainty relation
• ISSN: 0007-1323; 1365-2168
• DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800831138

Reduced expression of E‐cadherin is associated with tumour invasiveness and metastasis. To elucidate whether E‐cadherin expression correlates with clinical outcome in patients with oesophageal cancer, 62 patients were investigated immunohistochemically using an anti‐E‐cadherin monoclonal antibody (HECD‐1). Eight patients had normal levels of expression in the tumour, 25 had tumours that expressed high levels (50 per cent or more tumour cells staining positive for E‐cadherin) and 29 had tumours expressing low levels (less than 50 per cent of cells expressing E‐cadherin). Patients with normally expressing tumours had a better prognosis at 3 years than those with low‐expressing tumours (P < 0·05). Postoperative death was correlated significantly with lymphatic invasion, lymph node metastasis, E‐cadherin expression and depth of invasion (P < 0·05). Furthermore, haematogenous recurrence was correlated with E‐cadherin expression (rs = 0·38, P < 0·01) and blood vessel invasion (rs = 0·28, P < 0·05). These results suggest that evaluation of E‐cadherin immunoreactivity may predict haematogenous recurrence and poor prognosis in patients with oesophageal cancer.