Tumor-associated proteolysis and prognosis: new functional risk factors in gastric cancer defined by the urokinase-type plasminogen activator system.

Abstract

PAI-1, uPA, and uPA-R are new functional risk factors reflecting clinical prognosis. In particular, PAI-1 is a new independent variable for the identification of patients at high risk after tumor resection. Our results support the hypothesis that the uPA system probably is of general importance for prognosis of patients with malignant disease, indicating an individual tumor's capacity for invasion and metastasis.