Author of

• 15382

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  P3.04 - Poster Session/ Biology, Pathology, and Molecular Testing (ID 235)

  • Event: WCLC 2015
  • Type: Poster
  • Track: Biology, Pathology, and Molecular Testing
  • Presentations: 1
  • Moderators:
  • Coordinates: 9/09/2015, 09:30 - 17:00, Exhibit Hall (Hall B+C)

  • 15504

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    P3.04-122 - The Prognostic Significance of Galectin-3 Expression in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (ID 2979)

    09:30 - 09:30  |  Author(s): S. Pokharel
    • Abstract

    Background:
    Galectin-3 (gal-3) is a beta-galactoside binding protein expressed by various cells and is overexpressed in several malignancies, including lung cancer. Preclinical cancer models have shown gal-3 to be associated with tumor cell transformation, invasive behavior, and metastasis. The role of gal-3 in lung cancer has not been well studied. The aim of this study is to examine the prognostic significance of gal-3 overexpression in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).
    
    Methods:
    Using pathology archives from our cancer center, tissue microarray (TMA) were constructed of 248 resected NSCLC and matching normal lung tissue. Gal-3 protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis (IHC). The staining pattern of triplicate tumor cores spread in to 3 TMAs were scored semi- quantitatively as: 0, negative, 1 weak, 2, moderate, and 3 strong. Average score was calculated and the score up to 1 was regarded as low expression and 2 and 3 were regarded as high expression. One or less cores were available for 24 cases and they were excluded from the study. The association between gal-3 score and 5-year survival, nodal metastasis, and cancer stage were analyzed using chi-square test.
    
    Results:
    Of the 224 patients included, 217 were squamous cell carcinoma and 7 were other types of NSCLC. Normal lung tissues had mean gal-3 score of 0 (median score 0, range 0-2). Tumor samples had mean gal-3 score of 2 (range 0-3) with 62% of the samples having gal-3 score of ≥ 2. In this data set, high gal-3 score was associated with less than 5-year survival rate (p=0.04) but not associated with nodal metastasis, nor higher stage (stage II-IV) in NSCLC patients.
    
    Conclusion:
    Gal-3 expression is increased in more than 60% of NSCLC, particularly squamous cell carcinoma. Higher gal-3 protein expression is associated with poorer prognosis in this cohort. Larger studies are necessary to evaluate gal-3 as prognostic factor in NSCLC.