Original Scientific Articles

Immunohistochemical markers: Carcinoembryonic antigen, p53, Ki-67, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen as prognostic factors for colorectal cancer

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Abstract

Introduction: There has been a progressive increase in the frequency of colorectal carcinoma for the last twenty years. In order for a doctor to estimate the life expectancy and/or the treatment of these patients, oncology makes use of prognostic and predictive factors. They are divided into: clinicosurgical, pathohistological and immunohistochemical markers. The aim of this study is to determine the significance of immunohistochemical markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), p53, Ki-67 as well as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) for predicting survival in patients with colorectal carcinoma.

Methods: From 1st January 2010 to 1st December 2017, 484 patients with colorectal carcinoma who underwent analysis of immunohistochemical markers in carcinoma tissue (CEA, p53, Ki-67 and PCNA) were treated in Public Hospital "St Vračevi" in Bijeljina.

Results: Immunohistochemical analysis of primary colorectal adenocarcinoma tissue showed a considerably high positive expression level of CEA in 301 (62%) patients, p53 in 329 (68%), PCNA in 314 and Ki-67 in 275 (56.8%) patients. Patients with a high positive expression of CEA, PCNA, and p53 had a statistically lower survival rate, compared to the patients with low CEA, PCNA and p53 expression score. There was no statistically significant difference in the survival of patients with a considerably high immunohistochemical Ki-67 expression score, compared to the ones with low score.

Conclusion: Although immunohistochemical markers are useful predictors of survival in these patients, immunohistochemical analysis is not used for the routine examination of colorectal carcinoma.

Keywords: immunohistochemical markers, CEA, p53, Ki-67, PCNA, colorectal carcinoma, survival

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