Correlation between loss of Bcl-XL expression and improved prognosis in advanced esophageal cancer treated by preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

摘要

We investigated the clinical significance of the apoptosis- related molecule expression of tumor cells in patients with advanced esophageal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Preoperative CRT reduced Bcl-X(L) expression in a significant proportion of the group responding to CRT but not in the group resisting CRT, although Bcl-2 expression was reduced in both groups. The mean survival time of the patients with cancers that lost Bcl-X(L) following CRT was significantly longer compared to those with cancers expressing Bcl-X(L). These results suggested that CRT reduced Bcl-X(L) expression, and this decrease closely correlated with the prolonged survival of advanced esophageal cancer patients treated with preoperative CRT.