Clinical

Hepatoma-derived growth factor predicts GI tumor outcome

Last Updated: 2007-09-04 19:09:04 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Expression of hepatoma-derived growth factor is elevated in high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors, Taiwanese researchers report in the September 1st issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

"Furthermore," senior investigator Dr. Tsung Hui-Hu told Reuters Health, "increased nuclear hepatoma-derived growth factor levels correlated with the proliferating states of high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors and predicted poor prognosis for patients with high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors after surgery."

Dr. Hu of Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Hsien and colleagues studied 178 surgically resected CD117-positive high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

The team found hepatoma-derived growth factor immunoreactivity in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tissue and a positive correlation between these findings and tumor size and tumor mitosis.

There also was a relationship between hepatoma-derived growth factor levels and the established markers of poor prognosis, Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen.

Patients with higher hepatoma-derived growth factor levels were significantly more likely to have earlier tumor recurrence and an unfavorable outcome.

The researchers conclude that measures based on hepatoma-derived growth factor provide "an independent prognostic factor" for disease free and overall survival of these patients following surgery.

"These findings support hepatoma-derived growth factor as a candidate gene for development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors," they add.

Int J Cancer 2007;121:1059-1065.