Heparanase expression is a prognostic indicator for postoperative survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma
2002

Heparanase and Pancreatic Cancer Survival

Sample size: 50 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Rohloff J, Zinke J, Schoppmeyer K, Tannapfel A, Witzigmann H, Mössner J, Wittekind C, Caca K

Primary Institution: Leipzig University

Hypothesis

Heparanase expression correlates with postoperative survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Conclusion

Heparanase expression is inversely correlated with postoperative survival in pancreatic cancer patients.

Supporting Evidence

  • Heparanase expression was found in all pancreatic cancer cell lines studied.
  • Patients with heparanase positive tumors had a median survival of 17 months compared to 34 months for heparanase negative tumors.
  • Heparanase expression was higher in primary tumors than in metastatic sites.
  • Statistical analysis showed a significant negative correlation between heparanase expression and postoperative survival.

Takeaway

Heparanase is a protein that helps cancer cells spread, and if it's present in pancreatic tumors, patients may not live as long after surgery.

Methodology

The study analyzed heparanase expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines and tissue samples from patients, correlating it with postoperative survival.

Limitations

The study size was small, limiting the ability to perform multivariate analysis.

Participant Demographics

Mean age 63 years, 27 male and 23 female patients.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.01

Statistical Significance

p<0.01

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1038/sj.bjc.6600232

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