Some non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) express neuroendocrine(NE) characteristics, more typical of small cell lung cancer(SCLC). The present study examined the relationship between NE differentiation and chemotherapy response in lung cancer
patients,
retrospectively. We measured expression of immunoperoxidase markers, neuron specific enolase(NSE) and chromogranin A(CHR), in bronchoscopic biopsied tumor tissues that were paraffin embedded sections. According to the result of chemotherpy
response, all
patients were categorized to responders(19 NSCLC, 12 SCLC) and nonresponders(16 NSCLC, 4 SCLC). We observed NSE and CHR marker expression more frequently in SCLC than in NSCLC, and in adenocarcinoma than in squamous cell type of NSCLC. Without
regard to
cancer cell type, the responders showed higher incidence of NSE and CHR marker expression and more prolonged median survival than the nonresponders. Also the patients with the expresion of either marker showed superior median survival(NSCLC; 35.9
weeks,
SCLC; 33.4 weeks) in comparison to the patients with the expression of neither marker(NSCLC; 22.9 weeks, SCLC' 15.3 weeks)(NSCLC; p<0.05, SCLC; p<0.01). Our results suggest that the presence of NE differentiation is associated with a favorable
chemotherapy response and a likelihood of survival prolongation.
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