MUC2 protein expression status is useful in assessing the effects of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal dissemination of colon cancer

We conducted a molecular biological investigation to determine the outcomes of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) treatment, and whether it is effective in all cases for patients with peritoneal dissemination of colon cancer. In the HIPEC group, the 3-year survival rate was 39.2%, whereas in the non-HIPEC group the 3-year survival rate was 15.6%. MUC2 expression was investigated in the HIPEC group, in patients positive for MUC2 expression, and the 3-year survival rate was 0.0%, while in patients negative for MUC2 expression, the 3-year survival rate was 61.1%. In addition, as a result of introducing MUC2-siRNA into a colon cancer cell line with high expression of the MUC2 gene, the cell death rate from heat and anticancer agents increased 40% in comparison with colon cancer cells in which scrambled siRNA had not been introduced. HIPEC therapy is thought to be effective in prolonging survival in patients with peritoneal dissemination of colon cancer, and MUC2 expression is thought to be useful as an indicator to assess its effectiveness in colon cancer cells.