Objective: The predictive importance of galectin-3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been elucidated. We examined whether galectin-3 could serve as a predictor for tumor recurrence in NSCLC.
Methods: In 42 consecutive patients with NSCLC who underwent radical resection, galectin-3 expression in tumor cells was examined by immunohistochemistry. Galectin-3 levels in serum were assessed before surgery and 1 month after surgery by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
Results: Higher expression of galectin-3 in tumor cells was associated significantly with lymphatic invasion (p = 0.049) and tumor recurrence (p = 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier curves for relapse-free survival after radical resection showed that patients with high expression of galectin-3 had significantly shorter relapse-free survival than those with low expression of galectin-3 (p < 0.001). The serum level of galectin-3 was not reduced after radical resection, and there was no significant correlation between the serum level of galectin-3 and recurrence.
Conclusions: Galectin-3 expression in tumor cells could serve as a predictive factor for recurrence, but serum level of galectin-3 is not useful for predicting NSCLC recurrence.
Keywords: Galectin-3; Non-small cell lung cancer; Prognosis.