Expression and Clinical Significance of STAT3, P-STAT3, and VEGF-C in Small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

<br/><b>Objective</b>: To determine STAT3, P-STAT3, and VEGF-C expression levels in small cell lung cancers (SCLCs),and discuss their role and clinical significance in SCLC development. <br/><b>Method</b>: Immunohistochemical methodswere applied to 128 cases of SCLC and 40 cases of adjacent normal tissue. <br/><b>Results</b>: The expression levels ofSTAT3, P-STAT3, and VEGF-C were higher in SCLC than in normal tissue (P < 0.05). Pairwise comparisonsshowed positive correlations with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and tumor size (P <0.05). The expressionlevels were also related with the overall survival rates. <br/><b>Conclusion</b>: STAT3 and VEGF-C play important rolesin the development of SCLC, and might be expected to become new targets for SCLC treatment.