title: c-Kit expression in patients with uterine leiomyosarcomas: a potential alternative therapeutic treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Uterine leiomyosarcomas are rare tumors characterized by their resistance to chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Surgery is the primary method of treatment, but for patients with unresectable disease, alternate therapeutic options are clearly warranted. According to initial observations of c-KIT expression, correlation with a bad prognosis, and the successful therapeutic possibility of STI571 in gastrointestinal stromal tumors, the data have encouraged us to study c-KIT expression in these tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the expression of c-KIT and genetic assessment of exon 11 of c-kit gene in 32 uterine leiomyosarcomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 17 cases (53.1%), we observed a c-KIT expression in tumor cells. Of the 17 patients with distinct c-KIT-positive immunoreactivity, eight had I or II stage disease and nine had III or IV stage disease. Molecular genetic analysis of exon 11, analyzed by direct DNA sequencing, was performed for all of the c-KIT-positive uterine leiomyosarcomas. No mutations were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The conventional chemotherapy in leiomyosarcomas appears to be ineffective for patients with metastatic or unresectable disease, and the management of these patients poses a special problem. In these women, new therapeutic strategies are warranted. The treatment with STI571 in leiomyosarcoma patients might be hypothesized, because uterine leiomyosarcomas also express c-KIT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. mariarosaria.raspolini@unifi.it
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Raspollini
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amunni
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villanucci
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pinzani
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simi
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paglierani
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Taddei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001549:Benzamides; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D004247:DNA; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit