High expression of cyclooxygenase 2 is an indicator of prognosis for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy.

Background The poor prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( ESCC) is attributed to a high recurrence rate after surgery. Cyclooxygenase 2 ( COX2) is an important regulator of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and transformation. COX2 overexpression is significantly associated with the tumorigenesis and progression of diverse cancers; however, its expression and significance in ESCC remains unclear. Methods We enrolled 118 patients with ESCC who had undergone Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. The expression profile of COX2 was examined by immunohistochemistry. Results A high expression of COX2 correlated with a higher T staging ( P = 0.014), lower differentiation degree ( P = 0.002), lymph node metastasis ( P = 0.009), recurrence status ( P = 0.004), and tumor node metastasis ( TNM) stage ( P = 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that TNM stage ( P = 0.001), differentiation degree ( P = 0.001), and high COX2 expression ( P = 0.004) were independent risk factors of prognosis. Conclusion Our data indicated that COX2 expression level is associated with key clinicopathological features and could be an effective biomarker to predict ESCC prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]