Background: Single tumors may show heterogeneity, and it is unclear whether biomarker expression in surgical and diagnostic biopsy samples correlates.
Materials and methods: We retrospectively identified lung cancer patients who were diagnosed by biopsy and underwent surgery between January 2007 and October 2010 at the Shimane University Hospital, Shimane, Japan. Thirty-two patients were identified. The expression of four predictive biomarkers was assessed, namely excision repair cross-complementing gene 1 (ERCC1), ribonucleotide diphosphate reductase M1 (RRM1), thymidylate synthase (TS), and class III beta-tubulin (BT). We also compared immunohistochemical staining in diagnostic biopsy and corresponding resected surgical samples.
Results: Moderate correlation was seen between the expression of ERCC1, RRM1, TS, and BT in the biopsy and surgical specimens, with r values of 0.512 (p=0.003), 0.411 (p=0.020), 0.475 (p=0.006), and 0.404 (p=0.027), respectively.
Conclusion: Assessment of biopsy samples with immunohistochemical staining is a feasible and reliable method for use in clinical decision making.
Keywords: Biomarker; biopsy; immunohistochemistry; non-small-cell lung cancer; surgery.
Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.