Abstract: AIM: To investigate the expression of β-tubulinⅢ, survivin protein and chemoresistance to docetaxel in advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: Seventy-four patients of advanced gastric cancer treated with docetaxel were enrolled in this study and their tumor samples were collected retrospectively for analysis. The expression of β-tubulinⅢ, survivin protein in tumor samples was detected by the immuno- histochemical methods. The data of therapeutical effect and toxicity were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: β-tubulinⅢ positive staining accounted for 38.1％(32/84). Survivin positive staining accounted for 76.2％(64/84). There was no correlation between β-tubulinⅢ, survivin positive expression and age, gender, pathological type. The response rate(CR+PR)was 52.38％. Patients with overexpression β-tubulinⅢ were less response rate (37.50％vs 61.54％) to docetaxel (P<0.05). Patients with overexpression survivin were less response rate (48.40％vs 65.50％) to docetaxel (P<0.05). Patients with overexpression β-tubulinⅢ and survivin were also lower response rate (25.0％vs 73.91％, P<0.05). Patients with over expression β-tubulinⅢ and survivin have also lower the median time to progress and 1- and 2-year survival rates (3.9m vs 7.7m, 34.5% vs 61.6%, 15.1% vs 31.4%, P<0.05). The main side-effects were myelosuppression and digestive apparatus toxicity. CONCLUSION: The expression of β-tubulinⅢ and survivin is associated with clinical response to docetaxel chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer and can be used as method of detection of sensitivity.

Key words: Metastatic breast cancer, Docetaxel, β-tubulinⅢ, Survivin