Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42738263›Full record

ArticleCancers2026

COX-2 Expression in Paired Primary Tumors and Lymph Node Metastases: An Exploratory Clinicopathological Study.

Kamil Kowalczyk, Bartosz Małkiewicz, Aleksandra Piotrowska, Paweł Kiełb, Krzysztof D Dudek, Adam Gurwin, Jakub Karwacki, Dariusz Kowalczyk, Wojciech Krajewski, Tomasz Szydełko and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Kamil KowalczykDepartment of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Centre of Excellence in Urology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
Bartosz MałkiewiczDepartment of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Centre of Excellence in Urology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-5933-3753
Aleksandra PiotrowskaDivision of Histology and Embryology, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0003-4093-7386
Paweł KiełbDepartment of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Centre of Excellence in Urology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-2291-2217
Krzysztof D DudekMilitary Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, 4th Military Clinical Hospital in Wroclaw, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-9442-989X
Adam GurwinDepartment of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Centre of Excellence in Urology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-9711-6709
Jakub KarwackiDepartment of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Centre of Excellence in Urology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.ORCID 0009-0005-4441-1877
Dariusz KowalczykDepartment of Anatomy, School of Medicine in Opole, University of Opole, 45-052 Opole, Poland.
Wojciech KrajewskiDepartment of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Centre of Excellence in Urology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
Tomasz SzydełkoDepartment of Minimally Invasive and Robotic Urology, University Centre of Excellence in Urology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
Agnieszka HałońDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
Piotr DzięgielDivision of Histology and Embryology, Department of Human Morphology and Embryology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland.
Maciej KaczorowskiDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-7787-9952

Funding

Wroclaw Medical University SUBZ.C090.23.080
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesProstate cancer remains one of the most common malignancies in men, and prognosis remains particularly challenging in patients with lymph node metastases. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), an inducible enzyme involved in inflammation and tumor progression, has been investigated as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target, but its expression in lymph node metastases remains unclear. While COX-2 overexpression in primary prostate tumors has been reported, its expression in lymph node metastases has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to compare COX-2 expression in primary prostate tumors and corresponding lymph node metastases and to evaluate its association with clinicopathological characteristics and survival.

methodsThis study included 77 treatment-naïve patients with prostate cancer and histologically confirmed lymph node metastases who underwent radical prostatectomy with extended lymphadenectomy. COX-2 expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry in paired samples from primary tumors and corresponding lymph node metastases. Statistical comparisons were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test and survival analyses were performed using Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test.

resultsCOX-2 expression was detected in both primary tumors and lymph node metastases, with no significant difference in staining intensity between the two sites. High COX-2 expression in primary tumors was significantly associated with a higher percentage of involved lymph nodes (30.0% vs. 11.8%,

conclusionsHigh COX-2 expression is associated with adverse clinicopathological features and poorer survival in lymph node-positive prostate cancer. The association of COX-2 expression with the extent of lymph node involvement and survival suggests that COX-2 may have prognostic value in this setting. However, the present findings do not establish a causal role of COX-2 in disease progression or lymphangiogenesis. Further studies are warranted to validate the prognostic significance of COX-2 and to clarify its potential biological and therapeutic relevance in lymph node-positive prostate cancer.

Indexed as

cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)H-scoreimmunohistochemistryprognostic markerprostate cancerradical prostatectomy

Identifiers

PMID42738263
PMCPMC13564702

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.