Expression of L1 cell adhesion molecule is a significant prognostic factor in pT3-stage gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND

L1, a 200-220 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein of the immunoglobulin superfamily, has been shown to affect prognosis of various types of cancer and was shown to enhance peritoneal metastasis in ovarian cancer in vivo.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Immunostaining with anti-L1 antibody was performed with 72 surgically resected pT3-stage gastric cancer specimens. Correlation of immunoreactivity with clinicopathological variables was evaluated and survival curves were compared between L1-positive and negative cases.

RESULTS

L1 was detected in 15 specimens (21%), more often among the intestinal-type cancer. No correlation was observed between L1 expression and presence of free cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity or development of peritoneal carcinomatosis during the follow-up. Nevertheless, prognosis of patients with L1-positive cancer was significantly inferior (p=0.024), particularly among the diffuse-type cancer cases.

CONCLUSION

L1 was associated with poor outcome in gastric carcinoma. However, its association with the formation of peritoneal metastases or the presence of free cancer cells in the abdominal cavity was not observed. Further study to identify the role of L1 in gastric cancer progression and metastasis is warranted.