Immunohistochemical expression and prognostic significance of fatty acid synthase in pancreatic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate immunohistochemical markers in pancreatic cancer and to determine the association of their expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients were followed-up for an average period of 5 years. FAS, bcl-2, p53 and Ki-67 expression were detected immunohistochemically to determine their prognostic value. RESULTS FAS was statistically associated with p53 (p = 0.002), Ki-67 (p = 0.003), higher histological grade (p = 0.001 and recurrence and overall survival (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION The newly found overexpression of FAS in highly aggressive pancreatic carcinomas may help us stratify patients into different prognostic groups and indicate new therapeutic strategies.