Predictive importance of galectin-3 for recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer

Objective The predictive importance of galectin-3 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been elucidated. We examined whether galectin-3 could serve as a predictor for tumor recurrence in NSCLC. Methods In 42 consecutive patients with NSCLC who underwent radical resection, galectin-3 expression in tumor cells was examined by immunohistochemistry. Galectin-3 levels in serum were assessed before surgery and 1 month after surgery by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results Higher expression of galectin-3 in tumor cells was associated significantly with lymphatic invasion ( p = 0.049) and tumor recurrence ( p = 0.001). The Kaplan–Meier curves for relapse-free survival after radical resection showed that patients with high expression of galectin-3 had significantly shorter relapse-free survival than those with low expression of galectin-3 ( p