LAUSR

Background/Aim: CD133 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) have been reported to be affected by chemoradiotherapy (CRT), but the combinatorial assessment of these markers for prognosis after CRT has not been fully investigated. Therefore, we aimed to predict recurrence and prognosis in patients with rectal cancer by assessing changes in the expression of both CD133 and HIF-1α after CRT. Materials and Methods: CD133 and HIF-1α expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in surgical specimens from 243 patients with advanced low rectal cancer who received CRT followed by curative resection. Results: The positivity rate of CD133 expression showed increase with increased HIF-1α expression. The combination of these two markers showed that the CD133(+)HIF-1α(−) group exhibited a markedly shorter relapse-free survival (p=0.007), higher liver recurrence (p=0.004), and higher local recurrence (p=0.006). Conclusion: CD133(+)HIF-1α(−) expression after CRT is a promising marker to predict recurrence in rectal cancer.