CCR7: A metastasis and prognosis indicator of postoperative patients with esophageal carcinoma.

Background/aims: To investigate the expression of CC chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) and its relationship to the metastasis and prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after esophagectomy.

Methodology: CCR7 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier method was performed to calculate the survival rate, Cox regression multivariate analysis was performed to determine independent prognostic factors.

Results: CCR7 expression rate in T1, T2 and T3 patients was 27.3%, 64.7% and 75.2%, respectively, the difference of CCR7 protein expression was statistically significant (p=0.000). The positive expression of CCR7 in patients with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than those without metastasis (p=0.000). CCR7 expression correlated with significantly worsened 5-year survival for all patients as well as those with T2 and T3 tumors, N0 nodal status or N1 nodal status. The result of Cox analysis demonstrated that N stage, T stage and CCR7 expression were independent prognostic factors.

Conclusions: CCR7 expression was detected in ESCC and was found to be significantly associated with T stage and lymph node metastasis. The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in patients with CCR7 expression in those without. Invasion, lymph node metastasis and CCR7 expression were independent factors.