AUTHOR=Yu Guanyu , Xu Mengnan , Zhou Leqi , Zheng Kuo , Zhu Xiaoming , Sui Jinke , Xin Cheng , Chang Wenjun , Zhang Wei , Cao Fuao 

TITLE=High expression of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase predicts a poor prognosis in human colorectal cancer

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.989999

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2022.989999

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=Background: Phosphorylated Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) has been reported to be intimately involved in various malignant tumors. The effect of p-FAK on colorectal cancer (CRC) is still disputable. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of p-FAK in the prognosis of colorectal cancer.
Methods: The clinical significance of p-FAK expression in CRC was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in a large cohort, including carcinoma and para-carcinoma tissues from 908 patients, and normal tissues, adenoma, and metastasis tissues. The correlation between p-FAK expression and CRC occurrence was investigated in tumor and other tissues. Factors contributing to prognosis were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression model. 
Results: p-FAK is apparently overexpressed in CRC and metastasis tissues. Compared with low p-FAK expression, patients with high p-FAK expression had shorter overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 2.200; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.265 - 3.452; P < 0.01) and disease-free survival (HR, 2.004; 95% CI 1.262 - 3.382; P < 0.01) in multivariate Cox analysis after adjusting other prognostic factors. High p-FAK expression was also related to a worse chemotherapeutic response in patients who achieved adjuvant chemotherapy (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Expression level of p-FAK is an independent risk factor and can serve as a prognostic biomarker for CRC. High p-FAK expression predicts an unfavorable prognosis of CRC as well as poor chemotherapeutic response.