title: Fascin expression in endocervical neoplasia: correlation with tumour morphology and growth pattern.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fascin is an actin-binding protein that potentiates migratory and invasive behaviour in neoplastic cells and has been shown to be upregulated in various malignancies. In this study fascin expression was assessed in adenocarcinoma in situ (ACIS) and invasive adenocarcinoma of the endocervix, and the results were correlated with tumour growth patterns (papillary, glandular or infiltrative).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fascin immunoreactivity was assessed in 10 cases of ACIS and in 34 cervical adenocarcinomas, 15 of which also included an in situ component. Staining within normal epithelium and stromal elements was also noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Normal endocervical epithelium and 23/25 ACIS lesions were fascin-negative. Most invasive tumour elements were also unstained but 13/32 adenocarcinomas that exhibited a glandular growth pattern showed focal fascin immunoreactivity mainly towards the basal aspect of the larger tumour glands. These fascin-positive cells often showed a morphological alteration similar to that seen in infiltrative tumour areas. None of the papillary tumour elements, present in 12 cases, was fascin-positive. Twenty adenocarcinomas included a focal infiltrative component, often distributed at the advancing or deep tumour margin (invasive front), and these tumour cells were usually fascin-positive. Staining was also observed in normal parabasal squamous cells, endothelial and dendritic cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Novel fascin expression occurs during the development and progression of some endocervical neoplasms. Fascin immunoreactivity within infiltrative neoplastic elements suggests that this protein may have an important role in areas of active tumour invasion.
authors: Department of Histopathology, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. colin.stewart@health.wa.gov.au
authors: Colin J R
authors: CJ
authors: Stewart
authors: Maxine
authors: M
authors: Crook
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Loi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D000231:Adenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D047368:Tumor Burden; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C502658:FSCN1 protein, human; D008840:Microfilament Proteins