Prognostic significance of fascin expression in endometrioid carcinoma

Actin bundling protein fascin has been previously associated with tumor progression in human cancers. We evaluated whether fascin also plays a role in endometrioid carcinomas.

Cases of 28 proliferative and hyperplastic endometrium and 43 endometrioid carcinomas were examined by immunohistochemistry using antihuman fascin antibody.

Weak fascin expression in glandular epithelium was observed in 39% of non-neoplastic samples and various degrees of fascin expression were observed in 74% of neoplastic samples. The number of positively stained samples and intensity of epithelial staining were significantly higher in endometrioid carcinoma compared to the non-neoplastic group (p < 0.001). The number of positively stained samples and total fascin scores of stroma were significantly higher in proliferative and hyperplastic endometrium biopsies compared to the endometrioid carcinoma (p < 0.001). Higher grade endometrioid carcinoma cases had significantly increased total epithelial fascin scores (.042, p < 0.05). There was also a significant difference between tumor grade and patient survival (.040, p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between microvessel count and disease-free survival (r = .412, p = .006). In the proliferative and hyperplastic endometrial biopsies microvessels stained homogeneously in all cases (28/28), but in the endometrioid carcinoma group eight out of 43 cases showed heterogeneous fascin staining of microvessels. The difference was significant (.019, p < 0.05).

Our study supported the dynamic role of actin bundling protein fascin in generating and maintaining endometrial neoplasms. It also showed that in the development of neoplasia, stromal fascin expression decreases but epithelial fascin expression up-regulates.