Published in:
01-09-2013 | Review Article
Role of BAX for outcome prediction in gastrointestinal malignancies
Authors:
Filippo Pietrantonio, Pamela Biondani, Elisa Ciurlia, Giuseppe Fanetti, Anna Tessari, Gaia Bertarelli, Ilaria Bossi, Valeria Musella, Flavia Melotti, Maria Di Bartolomeo, Francesca Valvo, Alessandro Pellegrinelli, Massimo Milione, Federica Perrone, Filippo de Braud
Published in:
Medical Oncology
|
Issue 3/2013
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Abstract
Our group and numerous others have shown in both preclinical and clinical studies that the proapoptotic mediator BAX may be deregulated through gene mutation or loss of protein expression, affecting resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in several cancer types. However, BAX is also involved in cancer development and may related to prognosis, independently of treatment outcome. The clinical impact of BAX status in gastrointestinal malignancies remains controversial, although it is generally hypothesized that high expression may be a positive prognostic factor and predict increased efficacy of chemotherapy (with particular regard to platinum derivatives). The present review aims to provide updated information on BAX as potential prognostic and/or predictive biomarker in gastroesophageal and colorectal cancers, as well as in other less studied gastrointestinal malignancies.