Molecular Diagnostics

British Journal of Cancer (2005) 93, 137–143. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6602665 www.bjcancer.com
Published online 14 June 2005

High-level expression of Rad51 is an independent prognostic marker of survival in non-small-cell lung cancer patients

G-B Qiao1,5, Y-L Wu1,5, X-N Yang1, W-Z Zhong1, D Xie2, X-Y Guan2, D Fischer3, H-C Kolberg3, S Kruger4 and H-W Stuerzbecher4

  1. 1Lung Cancer Research Institute & Cancer Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, P.R. China
  2. 2Department of Clinical Oncology, the University of Hong Kong, P.R. China
  3. 3Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein (UK S-H), Campus Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany
  4. 4Institute of Pathology, University Clinic Schleswig-Holstein (UK S-H), Campus Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D-23538 Lübeck, Germany

Correspondence: Dr H-W Stuerzbecher, E-mail: stuerzbe@uni-luebeck.de

5These authors contributed equally to this work

Received 14 March 2005; Accepted 18 May 2005; Published online 14 June 2005.

Top

Abstract

High-level expression of Rad51, a key factor in homologous recombination, has been observed in a variety of human malignancies. This study was aimed to evaluate Rad51 expression to serve as prognostic marker in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 383 non-small-cell lung tumours were analysed immunohistochemically on NSCLC tissue microarrays. High-level Rad51 expression was observed in 29.4% (100 out of 340) of cases. Patients whose tumours displayed high-level Rad51 expression showed a significantly shorter median survival time of 19 vs 68 months (P<0.0001, log-rank test). Similarly T status, N status, M status, clinical stage and histological tumour grade were significant prognostic markers in univariate Cox survival analysis. Importantly, Rad51 expression (P<0.0001) together with tumour differentiation (P<0.009), clinical stage (P=0.004) and N status (P=0.0001) proved to be independent prognostic parameters in multivariate analysis. Rad51 expression predicted the outcome of squamous cell cancer as well as adenocarcinoma of the lung. Our results suggest that Rad51 expression provides additional prognostic information for surgically treated NSCLC patients. We hypothesise that the decreased survival of NSCLC patients with high-level expression of Rad51 is related to an enhanced propensity of tumour cells for survival, antiapoptosis and chemo-/radioresistance.

Keywords:

non-small-cell lung carcinoma, prognosis, tissue microarray, Rad51