Vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metalloproteinases, and cyclooxygenase-2 influence prognosis of uterine cervical cancer in young women.

Recent changes in the lifestyle of young women have led to an increase in the rate of uterine cervical cancer. We investigated the clinicopathological characteristics of uterine cervical cancer in young women, and examined the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Tumor samples from 439 patients with uterine cervical cancer, who were initially treated at Osaka City University Medical School Hospital, Japan between 1995 and 2004, were stained immunohistochemically.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase in uterine endometrial carcinoma and a correlation between expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 and prognosis.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are associated with invasion and metastasis of several human malignant tumors, in particular MMP-7, which is mainly produced by the cancer cell itself. We examined the expression of MMP-2, 7 and 9, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and 2 in uterine endometrial carcinoma, and compared the expression with clinicopathological characteristics in uterine endometrial carcinoma (UEC). A group of 256 patients with UEC received surgery at the Osaka City University Medical School Hospital, and 196 tumor samples were immunohistochemically stained to examine the expression of MMP-2, 7 and 9, and TIMP-1 and 2.

Expression of apoptosis-related proteins in advanced uterine cervical cancer after balloon-occluded arterial infusion chemotherapy as an indicator of the efficiency of this therapy.

We previously reported satisfactory therapeutic results of cisplatin-based cyclic balloon-occluded arterial infusion chemotherapy (BOAI) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which enabled treatment by hysterectomy in patients with advanced cervical cancer. We also reported expression of apoptosis among these patients and determined that the bax gene is related to this apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the effectiveness of BOAI therapy and expression of apoptosis regulatory genes and proteins in these cases.

Association of HPV infection with prognosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced uterine cervical cancer.

Whether the human papillomavirus (HPV) status of the tumor affects the sensitivity to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and the prognosis in advanced uterine cervical cancer (FIGO stage III or higher) remains unknown. We examined the HPV status of 43 patients who had received CDDP therapy by balloon-occluded arterial infusion (BOAI), as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced uterine cervical cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) stage III or higher. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples obtained by punch biopsy before the neoadjuvant chemotherapy.