Can B7-H3 Expression Serve as a Biomarker of Biochemical Recurrence after Salvage Radiation Therapy for Recurrent Prostate Cancer?

Current knowledge makes it very difficult to predict which men will experience biochemical recurrence (BCR) after salvage radiation therapy (SRT) for recurrent prostate cancer (PCa). We are also lacking in novel targets for adjuvant therapies. At the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL., researchers evaluated the association of B7-H3 expression in primary PCa tumors and BCR after SRT.

They evaluated 148 men who received SRT between July 1987 and July 2003. Expression of B7-H3 in primary PCa tumors was detected using a staining method. The staining levels (which showed the presence of B7-H3 expression) were quantified via visual assessment and categorized as weak, moderate, or marked. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between B7-H3 staining and BCR.