Class III beta-Tubulin Expression in Tumor Cells is Correlated with Resistance to Docetaxel in Patients with Completely Resected Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Objective To assess the relationship between in vitro chemosensitivity evaluated by the histoculture drug response assay (HDRA) and the expression of beta-tubulin isotypes in tumors of patients with completely resected NSCLC in order to determine the predictive value of beta-tubulin in chemotherapy for NSCLC. Methods Expression of beta-tubulin isotypes was immunohistochemically analyzed in a series of 58 tumor samples from patients with completely resected NSCLC. The sensitivity of individual tumors to anticancer agents was evaluated by HDRA. Results Class III beta-tubulin expression by tumor cells was significantly correlated with resistance to docetaxel (p=0.0250), but not related with resistance to gemcitabine. Patient characteristics (age, gender, histology, and stage) were not associated with class III beta-tubulin expression. Conclusion An abundance of class III beta-tubulin in tumor cells could be a biomarker for resistance to docetaxel in patients with completely resected NSCLC.