Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARG) Are Stage-Dependent Prognostic Markers of Malignant Melanoma

Table 4

Univariate analysis of factors regarding tumor progression and death using TMA-3.

Variable   Categorization	Death			Tumor progression
	$n$	events	$P^{*}$	$n$	events	$P^{*}$
Advance melanoma patients
Age
$<$60 years	12	7	0.152	12	11	0.163
$\ge$60 years	22	14		22	18
Initial tumor stage
pT1	2	1	0.690	2	2	0.016
pT2	1	1		1	1
pT3	13	9		13	11
pT4	9	6		9	6
Melanoma in situ	1	0		1	1
Initial regional lymph node status
pN0	11	6	0.980	11	9	0.894
pN1	9	8		9	8
pN2	6	4		6	5
pN3	2	1		2	1
Study therapy
A: trofosfamide	12	10	0.570	12	10	0.898
B: trofosfamide + rofecoxib + pioglitazone	23	12		23	20
CRP
normal or $<30\%$ decrease or increase	14	9	0.115	14	11	0.128
$>30\%$ decrease	10	10		10	10
Cytoplasmic COX2 IHC
score 0 to 1+	14	10	0.505	14	13	0.338
score 2+ to 3+	21	12		21	17
Nuclear PPARG IHC
score 0	22	15	0.179	22	21	0.044
score 1+ to 3+	13	7		13	9

${}^{*}\text{L}$og-rank test (two-sided).