Objective: To explore the correlation between the expression of C-terminal tensin-like protein (CTEN) and the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods: Using immunohistochemistry, we detected CTEN protein level in samples of primary lesion and adjacent non-tumor lesion collected from 240 patients with HCC. The relationship between CTEN expression and clinicopathology, 5 year recurrent-free survival, or overall survival was evaluated by Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier, or Cox regression analysis.
Results: High CTEN expression was detected in 55% of hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and 20% of adjacent carcinoma tissues (P< 0.001). CTEN expression was positively correlated with tumor diameter (P=0.022), venous invasion (P=0.007) or TNM stages (P=0.022). Five-year recurrence-free survival time (P< 0.001) and overall survival time (P< 0.001) in patients with high CTEN expression were significantly less than those in patients with low CTEN expression. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the CTEN expression was an independent prognostic marker for HCC (all P< 0.05).
Conclusion: CTEN protein may play a role in the genesis and development of HCC, and it can function as a prognostic marker.