Background: Several molecular markers are currently being investigated for their prognostic or predictive value in colorectal cancer. One of the genes proposed, as a potential molecular marker in CRC is CAV1.
Methods: The level of CAV1 expression was investigated in low-stage (I and II TNM) colon cancers using Real-Time PCR and immunohistochemistry.
Results: The level of CAV1 expression increased in tumors characterized by greater depths of invasiveness. The CAV1 expression level detected in tumors with a depth of invasion at stage T4 was significantly higher compared to that in T2 (P = 0.01) and T3 (P = 0.003) lesions. The length of a patient's survival depended on CAV1 expression level; the 10-year survival rate for patients with elevated expression of CAV1 was ∼59% compared with 91% for patients with reduced or unchanged expression of CAV1 (P = 0.007). The overall survival rate of patients with T3 + T4 lesions was significantly lower (P = 0.006) for patients with tumor displaying elevated CAV1 expression compared with patients with reduced or unchanged CAV1 expression.
Conclusions: Evaluation of CAV1 expression offers valuable prognostic information for patients with colorectal cancer, and could be used to select patients with stage I or II disease, who are at increased risk of unfavorable outcomes.
Keywords: CAV1; KRAS; PTRF; colon cancer; prognostic factor.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.