title: Neutral mucosubstances as a prognostic indicator in serous and endometrioid carcinomas of the ovary. A morphometrical analysis of saliva-periodic acid-Schiff stain.
abstract: Forty-four serous and 17 endometrioid carcinomas of the ovary were classified on hematoxylin-eosin stained tissue sections using the criteria of World Health Organization (WHO). The amount of saliva-periodic acid-Schiff (SPAS) staining positivity, indicating presence of neutral mucosubstances, was quantitated morphometrically and compared with survival of the patients. The 5-year survival of patients who had SPAS positive serous carcinoma was 36% whereas that of patients with SPAS negative serous carcinomas was only 7%. Among the patients who had endometrioid carcinoma showing SPAS positivity over the median, the 5-year survival was 47%. All patients with SPAS positivity less than the median had died in 3 years after the diagnosis. The differences in survivals were statistically significant (P < 0.001). This study shows that neutral mucosubstances as quantitated morphometrically is a good prognostic indicator of serous and endometrioid carcinomas of the ovary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Aalto
mesh_terms: D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D010503:Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; D011379:Prognosis