Prognostic Value of Survivin and Smac in Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Strategic Insights -

A recent study published in Respirology has examined the prognostic value of survivin, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), and second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases (Smac) in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. The study, conducted by researchers at Jiangsu University, found that low expression of survivin and high expression of Smac were associated with longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Key Takeaways:

  • Low expression of survivin was associated with a good response to chemotherapy (p=0.028).
  • Patients with low survivin expression or high Smac expression had significantly longer PFS (p=0.012 and p=0.029, respectively) and OS (p=0.007 and p=0.031, respectively) compared with patients with high expression of survivin or low expression of Smac.
  • XIAP expression was not correlated with PFS or OS.
  • Performance status and clinical stage were independent predictors for PFS and OS in multivariate Cox regression analyses.
  • Smac was an independent prognostic factor for OS, but not for PFS.

Statistics:

  • 72 patients with advanced NSCLC participated in the study.
  • The study found that 22 patients had low survivin expression, 20 patients had high Smac expression, and 30 patients had high survivin expression.
  • Patients with low survivin expression or high Smac expression had a median PFS of 5.6 months and 6.3 months, respectively, compared to 3.1 months in patients with high survivin expression.
  • Patients with low survivin expression or high Smac expression had a median OS of 13.1 months and 14.5 months, respectively, compared to 8.5 months in patients with high survivin expression.

Sources:

  • P. Chen et al., "Prognostic value of survivin, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein and second mitochondria-derived activator of caspases expression in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients," Respirology, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 501-509, 2010.
  • Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins.