Objective: To determine STAT3, P-STAT3, and VEGF-C expression levels in small cell lung cancers (SCLCs), and discuss their role and clinical significance in SCLC development. Method: Immunohistochemical methods were applied to 128 cases of SCLC and 40 cases of adjacent normal tissue. Results: The expression levels of STAT3, P-STAT3, and VEGF-C were higher in SCLC than in normal tissue (P0.05). Pairwise comparisons showed positive correlations with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and tumor size (P0.05). The expression levels were also related with the overall survival rates. Conclusion: STAT3 and VEGF-C play important roles in the development of SCLC, and might be expected to become new targets for SCLC treatment.
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