Biopsy specimen microvessel density is a useful prognostic marker in patients with T(2-4)M(0) esophageal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic markers for chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in T(2-4)M(0) esophageal cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We investigated clinicopathological and biological markers in biopsy specimens from 73 T(2-4)M(0) esophageal cancer patients treated with CRT (5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin and 60 Gy of radiation). Expressions of p53 gene product, Ki-67 labeling index, epidermal growth factor receptor, cyclin D1, vascular endothelial growth factor, microvessel density (MVD), thymidylate synthase, dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, and glutathione S-transferase pi in formalin-fixed biopsy samples of primary tumors before CRT were examined immunohistochemically. Clinicopathological and biological marker expressions were compared in terms of survival. RESULTS Univariate analysis revealed that performance status and T stage in clinicopathological features had a significant association with survival (P = 0.007 and 0.04, respectively) and that patients whose tumors showed high MVD [>median (19.7 vessels)] in biological markers had significantly better survival than those with low MVD (< or = median, P = 0.02). Also, there were weak associations of p53 and Ki-67 with survival (P = 0.08 and 0.07, respectively). Multivariate analysis, using both clinicopathological and biological markers, showed that MVD, T stage, and performance status became independent variables (P = 0.002, 0.02, and 0.02, respectively). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the patients with high MVD tumors survived longer than those with low MVD tumors (median survival time, not reached and 13 months, respectively; 3-year survival rate, 61% and 33%, respectively), with a significant difference of P = 0.02. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that MVD using pretreatment biopsy specimens is a potentially useful prognostic marker for CRT in patients with T(2-4)M(0) esophageal cancer who are treated with CRT.