Epidermal growth factor receptor expression and endometrial cancer histotypes.
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) has been implicated in the growth of endometrial cancer. In the present study, immunostaining of EGF-R was investigated in different endometrial cancer histotypes. For this purpose 34 surgical samples of primary endometrial carcinoma were studied using monoclonal anti-EGF-R antibody. The endometrial carcinomas were classified according to the International Society of Gynaecological Pathology (I.S.G.P.). EGF-R expression was observed in: 1 of 5 classical endometrioid adenocarcinomas (AE), in 8 of 9 endometrial adenocarcinomas with benign squamous metaplasia (AA), and in 3 of 14 adenosquamous adenocarcinomas (AS). In mucinous (M) and serous papillary adenocarcinoma (SP) EGF-R immunostaining was not observed. The EGF-R positivity was observed in endometrial cancer with squamous (SQ) differentiation, especially in those with benign SQ metaplasia. These results suggest that EGF-R immunostaining is related to the endometrial cancer histotype regardless of the tumor grade or extent of miometrial invasion.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bologna, S. Orsola General Hospital, Italy.
V M
VM
Jasonni
D
D
Santini
A
A
Amadori
C
C
Ceccarelli
S
S
Naldi
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans
D066246:ErbB Receptors