Caveolin‐1 plays a regulatory role in several signaling pathways. Recently caveolin‐1 was identified as a metastasis‐related gene in prostate carcinoma. However, the clinical impact of caveolin‐1 expression in esophageal carcinoma remains unknown.

One hundred thirty surgical specimens of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were immunohistochemically assessed for caveolin‐1 expression by polyclonal antibody. Caveolin‐1 immunoreactivity was correlated with patients' clinicopathologic parameters and outcome.

Positive caveolin‐1 immunostaining was detected in 58 patients (44.6%). Positive caveolin‐1 immunostaining correlated positively with pathologic stage (P = 0.029), pN (P = 0.023), and pM (P = 0.018). The overall survival rate was worse in patients with caveolin‐1‐positive tumors than in patients with caveolin‐1‐negative tumors (P = 0.0215). Univariate analyses identified caveolin‐1 positivity (P = 0.0238), pT (P = 0.0002), pN (P < 0.0001), pM (P = 0.0002), lymphatic invasion (P = 0.0021), and positive surgical margin (P < 0.0001) as negative prognostic predictors. Multivariate analyses indicated that pT (P = 0.0296), pN (P = 0.0003), and a positive surgical margin (P = 0.0452) were independent prognostic factors.

Over‐expression of caveolin‐1 is associated with lymph node metastasis and a worse prognosis after surgery in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer 2002;94:929–33. © 2002 American Cancer Society.

DOI 10.1002/cncr.10329