OBJECTIVETo investigate the level of ERCC1 mRNA expression in non-small cell lung cancer and analyze the influencing factors of the survival of patients after operation.

METHODSThe level of ERCC1 mRNA expression was quantified in sixty pairs of non-small cell lung cancer tissue and their matched normal lung tissues by real-time PCR assay. The survival of patients was analyzed by univariate Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis.

RESULTSThe level of ERCC1 mRNA expression in cancer tissues (-7.85 ± 3.86) was significantly higher than that in matched normal ones (-11.19 ± 5.03;t = 3.973, P = 0.000). Up-regulation of ERCC1 mRNA was found in 43 of 60 (71.7%) lung cancer tissues compared with that in the matched normal lung tissues (17 of 60, 28.3%). The univariate survival analysis by Kaplan-Meier method showed that the survival rate of patients with high ERCC1 mRNA expression was lower than that in the patients with low expression of ERCC1 mRNA (P = 0.000). Patients with lymph node metastasis, smoking, cancer family history, or high pathological grade had significantly shorter survaival time than those without lymph node metastasis, smoking, cancer family history, or with low pathological grade. Cox regression survival analysis showed that the level of ERCC1 mRNA expression, lymph node metastasis, smoking, and pathological grade were significant independent factors affecting the survival rate.

CONCLUSIONSNon-small cell lung cancer patients with up-regulated ERCC1 expression have a poor survival. The expression of ERCC1 mRNA, lymph node metastasis, pathological grade, cancer family history and smoking can be used as prognostic indicator of non-small cell lung cancer.