Cancer-Specific Survival Stratification Derived from Tumor Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 in Non-Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Degradation of the extracellular matrix is a prerequisite for the processes of cancer cell invasion and metastasis. The purpose of our study was to assess the association of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9) and their inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) progression and cancer-specific survival (CSS), using immunohistochemical analysis of 60 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of tumor tissue and normal tissue near the tumor from surgical T1-3bN0 M0 RCC specimens. Significant overexpression of MMP-2 in tumor and normal tissue was correlated with advanced stages, tumor size, sarcomatous differentiation and clinical symptoms.