Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: Endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (ESM-1) is a soluble proteoglycan which has important role in various biological events. We investigated the impact of the ESM-1 expression in cancer tissues on outcomes in stage II/III gastric cancer patients who received adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The ESM-1 mRNA expression in cancerous tissues and adjacent normal mucosa from 253 patients was measured. The associations between the ESM-1 gene expression and the survival and clinicopathological features were investigated. RESULTS: A significant association was observed between high ESM-1 expression and undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. The overall survival curve was significantly lower in patients with high ESM-1 expression than in those with low expression (p=0.005). High ESM-1 expression was a significant independent prognosticator (HR=2.291, p=0.007). CONCLUSION: ESM-1 gene expression in cancerous tissues is an important prognosticator in stage II/III gastric cancer patients who received adjuvant S-1 chemotherapy.